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☆ Fukushima wastewater released into the ocean, China bans all Japanese seafood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sales to China and Hong Kong accounted for 42% of all Japanese aquatic exports in 2022, according to government data. Separately from China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced their own ban starting Thursday, which covers Japanese seafood imports from 10 regions. Japan will conduct monitoring around the water release area and publish results weekly starting on Sunday, Japan's environment minister said. PROTESTSIn Hong Kong, Jacay Shum, a 73-year-old activist, held up a picture portraying IAEA head Rafael Grossi as the devil. "The Fukushima nuclear disaster is not over.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Geraldine Thomas, Han Duck, Jacay Shum, Rafael Grossi, Shum, Iizuka, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Irene Wang, Bernard Orr, Farah Master, Joyce Zhou, Hongji Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, Hong, REUTERS, Minwoo, World Health Organization, London's Imperial, Japan Fisheries Co, Korean, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Japan, TOKYO, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Busan, South Korea, China , Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, South, Beijing, Lincoln

Arm's stock market launch is expected to bring back to life a lackluster IPO market, which has over the last year seen several high-profile startups postpone their listing plans due to market volatility. Arm said that more than 50% of its royalty revenue for the most recent fiscal year came from smartphones and consumer electronics. The company, whose chip technology powers most smartphones including iPhones, did not reveal the number of shares it is planning to sell and the valuation it will seek. Arm makes money from upfront licensing fees for technology and then a royalty paid on each chip sold by Arm's customers. Arm's chip designs dominate the smartphone industry, but they are also used in laptops made by Apple (AAPL.O) and some Windows machines.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, SoftBank, Arm, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Manya Saini, Jaiveer, Stephen Nellis, Max Cherney, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Arm Holdings, Research, Reuters, Vision Fund, SECOND, Acorn Computers, Apple Inc, Apple Computer, VLSI Technology, London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Nvidia Corp, Apple, Nvidia, U.S, Barclays Plc, JPMorgan, Mizuho Financial Group, underwriters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Saudi, China, Arm China, Bengaluru, San Francisco, New York

The IPO could come later this year or early next year, subject to market conditions, the sources added, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential. The valuation attained will also be subject to market conditions, the sources added. EQT, CPPIB and Goldman Sachs declined to comment. The company develops payment software helping clients such as large hospital systems with the collection of bills from patients. The company now works with 1 million healthcare providers and handles more than 2.5 billion transactions annually, according to its website.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Waystar, CPPIB, Echo Wang, David Carnevali, Stephen Coates Organizations: EQT, Plan Investment, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase &, JPMorgan, Bain Capital, Fitch, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Thomson Locations: Canada, Navicure, New York

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/taiwan-vice-president-flashes-defiance-against-china-during-u-s-stopover-e3596b74

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: taiwan

If the negotiations lead to a deal, the Japanese tech investor would be delivering a major, immediate windfall to VF1 investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala. A big windfall for VF1 investors could boost SoftBank's chances of tapping them for capital again in the future. VF1's investment committee and SoftBank's investment advisory board, attended by fund investor representatives, are handling the negotiations, one of the sources added. SoftBank, VF1 and Arm declined to comment. SoftBank, which took Arm private for $32 billion in 2016, sold a 25% stake in the company to VF1 for $8 billion in 2017.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Didi Global, VF1, SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, Raine, VF2, Son, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank Group Corp, Vision Fund, Nasdaq, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, WeWork Inc, Alibaba Group, HK, Deutsche Telekom, Mobile U.S, Amazon.com Inc, Reuters, Nvidia Corp, Thomson Locations: Arm, New York

☆ Militants attack Pakistani military convoy escorting Chinese nationals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Gul Yousafzai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUETTA, Pakistan, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar on Sunday as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project, the military and China's consulate in Karachi said. China's consulate in the southern city of Karachi condemned the attack, adding in a statement that there were no casualties among its citizens on the convoy. The attack targeted Chinese passengers travelling from Gwadar airport towards a construction site in the port area, the source said. The BLA and other militant groups say Pakistan exploits the province's natural resources and have targeted Chinese interests in recent years for supporting that. Gwadar is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea, and is being developed under Chinese management.

Persons: Ethan Wang, Gibran Peshimam, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Initiative, Terrorists, Separatist, Balochistan Liberation, Thomson Locations: QUETTA, Pakistan, Gwadar, Karachi, China, Balochistan, China's, Hormuz, Beijing

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 7, 2023. The consumer price index (CPI) dropped in the world's second-largest economy, the National Bureau of Statistics said, its first decline since February 2021. Of the 443 S&P 500 companies that have reported results as of Tuesday, 78.6% beat analyst expectations, according to Refinitiv data. Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.18-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.63-to-1 ratio favored decliners. The S&P 500 posted 16 new 52-week highs and 7 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 60 new highs and 178 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jason Krupa, Patrick Harker, Gina Bolvin, Wells, Penn Entertainment's, Walt Disney's, Uber, Krupa, Echo Wang, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shounak Dasgupta, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Penn Entertainment, Dow, Nasdaq, Consumer, Index, Lenox Advisors, New York Federal Reserve Bank, Philadelphia Fed, Bolvin Wealth Management Group, Traders, FedWatch, Wall, Nvidia, Apple, National Bureau of Statistics, Dow Jones, Bank of America, Casino, Walt, Walt Disney's ESPN, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Boston, New York, Bengaluru

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for July, due on Thursday, is expected to show a slight acceleration from last year. The consumer price index (CPI) dropped in the world's second-largest economy, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday, its first decline since February 2021. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 31.47 points, or 0.70%, to end at 4,467.91 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) lost 162.31 points, or 1.17%, to 13,723.96. Six of the top 11 S&P 500 sectors rose, with energy stocks (.SPNY) leading the gain. Of the 443 S&P 500 companies that have reported results as of Tuesday, 78.6% beat analyst expectations, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jason Krupa, Patrick Harker, Gina Bolvin, Michelle Bowman, Wells, Penn Entertainment's, Walt Disney's, Uber, Krupa, Echo Wang, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shounak Dasgupta, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Penn Entertainment, Dow, Nasdaq, Lenox Advisors, New York Federal Reserve Bank, Philadelphia Fed, Bolvin Wealth Management Group, Traders, FedWatch, Wall, Nvidia, Apple, Index, Bank of America, National Bureau of Statistics, Dow Jones, Casino, Walt, Walt Disney's ESPN, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Boston, New York, Bengaluru

[1/2] The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics center in Lauwin-Planque, northern France, November 15, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File PhotoNEW YORK, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) is in talks about joining other technology companies as a cornerstone investor in SoftBank Group Corp's (9984.T) Arm Ltd ahead of its initial public offering (IPO), people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Amazon's potential involvement in the IPO, which has not previously been reported, underscores Arm's significance in cloud computing. Amazon Web Services, the internet giant's cloud business, makes its own processing chip called Graviton, using Arm's design. Arm has been in talks with about 10 technology companies, including Intel (INTC.O), Alphabet (GOOGL.O) and Nvidia (NVDA.O), about an investment ahead of its IPO, Reuters has reported.

Persons: Pascal, SoftBank, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Jeffrey Dastin, Stephen Nellis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Web Services, Nasdaq, Reuters, Intel, Nvidia, San, Thomson Locations: Lauwin, France, New York, San Francisco

A partial counterweight to Apple for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq was Amazon.com. Amazon's rise were an 11-point positive for the S&P 500. Reuters GraphicsAverage hourly earnings rose 0.4% in July, unchanged from the previous month, exceeding expectations, taking the year-on-year increase in wages to 4.4%. DraftKings' (DKNG.O) shares rose 5.8% after the sports-betting firm raised its fiscal year 2023 revenue outlook. The S&P 500 posted 19 new 52-week highs and 11 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 54 new highs and 91 new lows.

Persons: dents, jitters, Said Greg Bassuk, Brendan McDermid, Carl Icahn, DraftKings, Echo Wang, Shubham Batra, Bansari, Savio D'Souza, Shounak Dasgupta, Shinjini Ganguli, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Companies, Apple, Dow, Nasdaq, AXS Investments, Treasury, Labor Department, Reuters, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Microsoft, Dow Jones, Icahn Enterprises, Hindenburg, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York, Ukraine, China, New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Data for June additions was revised lower to 185,000 jobs, from 209,000 reported previously. Reuters GraphicsAverage hourly earnings rose 0.4% in July, unchanged from the previous month, exceeding expectations, taking the year-on-year increase in wages to 4.4%. The yield on the 10-year benchmark Treasury note dipped after the jobs data, partly boosting some megacap stocks. Buoying the S&P 500 index, Amazon.com shares (AMZN.O) rose after the company issued an upbeat third-quarter outlook.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Greg Bassuk, jitters, Said, Echo Wang, Shubham Batra, Bansari, Savio D'Souza, Shounak Dasgupta, Shinjini Ganguli, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Apple, Nasdaq, Treasury, AXS Investments, Labor Department, Reuters, Microsoft, Dow Jones, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Ukraine, China, New York, Bengaluru

“It’s really relative to just pricing against bond yields”, said Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis. Eight of the eleven main S&P 500 sectors declined, with more interest rates sensitive Utilities(.SPLRCU) and Real Estate (.SPLRCR) leading losses, dropping 2.3% and 1.4% respectively. Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 19, 2023. Second-quarter earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are now expected to fall 5% from a year earlier, according to Refinitiv data. The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and 6 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 58 new highs and 88 new lows.

Persons: “ It’s, Tom Hainlin, …, Thomas Barkin, Brendan McDermid, Echo Wang, Shubham Batra, Bansari, Anil D'Silva, David Gregorio Our Organizations: PayPal, Qualcomm, Dow, Nasdaq, Treasury, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, Labor Department, Investors, Richmond Federal, Dow Jones, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, PayPal Holdings, Spirit Airlines, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Minneapolis, U.S, New York City, New York, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 20, 2023. Uber (UBER.N) fell after the ride-hailing company missed second-quarter revenue expectations. Arista Networks (ANET.N) stocks rose as the network gear maker forecast quarterly revenue above estimates after delivering better-than-expected results. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 12.25 points, or 0.26%, to end at 4,576.94 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) lost 62.11 points, or 0.43%, to 14,284.20. JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O) stocks dropped after it lowered its annual profit forecast due to a hit from the termination of its revenue-sharing deal with American Airlines (AAL.O).

Persons: Brendan McDermid, It's, Scott Ladner, Echo Wang, Johann M Cherian, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, PMI, Dow, Nasdaq, Horizon Investments, Caterpillar, Pfizer, Treasury, Arista Networks, Dow Jones, Norwegian Cruise, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Second-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are estimated to have fallen 6.4% year-over-year, Refinitiv data through Friday showed. Citigroup raised its 2023-end and mid-2024 S&P 500 targets to 4,600 and 5,000, respectively, to reflect a higher possibility of a soft landing. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 7.64 points, or 0.17%, to end at 4,589.15 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) gained 29.37 points, or 0.21%, to 14,348.50. Nearly half of the top 11 S&P 500 sectors posted gains, led by a rise in energy stocks (.SPNY). Adobe (ADBE.O) stocks rose, outperforming tech peers, after Morgan Stanley raised its rating to "overweight" on the photoshop maker.

Persons: Dow, Ross Mayfield, Austan Goolsbee, Jay Hatfield, Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Echo Wang, Johann M Cherian, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: Citigroup, Nasdaq, Amazon.com, Apple, Baird, Intel, Lam Research, Chicago Fed, Dow Jones, Infrastructure Capital Advisors, SoFi Technologies, ON Semiconductor, Dow, Johnson, Adobe, Thomson, & & ' Locations: Louisville , Kentucky, New York, U.S, Bengaluru

Second-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are estimated to have fallen 6.4% year-over-year, Refinitiv data through Friday showed. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led Wall Street higher last week as megacap growth companies such as Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Meta Platforms (META.O) as well as chipmakers Intel (INTC.O) and Lam Research (LRCX.O) posted strong quarterly earnings. Citigroup raised its 2023-end and mid-2024 S&P 500 targets to 4,600 and 5,000, respectively, to reflect a higher possibility of a soft landing. Eight of the top 11 S&P 500 sectors posted gains, led by a 2% rise in energy stocks (.SPNY). The S&P 500 posted 27 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 95 new highs and 57 new lows.

Persons: Ross Mayfield, Austan Goolsbee, Jay Hatfield, Johnson, Morgan Stanley, decliners, Echo Wang, Johann M Cherian, Vinay Dwivedi, Richard Chang Organizations: Citigroup, Dow, Nasdaq, Amazon.com, Apple, Baird, Intel, Lam Research, Chicago Fed, Dow Jones, Infrastructure Capital Advisors, Financial, SoFi Technologies, ON Semiconductor, Johnson, Adobe, NYSE, Thomson, & & ' Locations: Louisville , Kentucky, New York, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ China is erasing mention of Qin Gang's time as foreign minister, but it still hasn't said why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Five weeks ago, the world watched as China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing for high stakes talks between the two powers. Qin’s whereabouts, the reason for his removal, and his ultimate fate as a member of China’s Communist Party all remain unknown. Unanswered questions about official decision-making are standard in China, where the political system is notoriously opaque and has only become more so under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But it also suggests that the cause must be grave for (Qin) to be removed,” she added. ‘Safe hands’The Foreign Ministry shake-up comes at a particularly sensitive time in China’s international relations.

Persons: Qin Gang, Antony Blinken, –, Qin, Wang Yi, Wang, Xi Jinping ., they’ve, Xi, ”, Yun Sun, …, Neil Thomas, Bonnie Glaser, Marshall Fund’s, hashtags, Li Mingjiang, Blinken, “ I’ve, I’ve, ” Blinken, “, ” Wang, China’s, Vladimir Putin, Asia Society’s Thomas, Victor Shih Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, China’s Foreign Ministry, China’s Communist Party, Xi Jinping . Senior, China Program, Communist Party, Politics, Asia Society, Center for, Foreign, Weibo, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, University of California San, Century China Center Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, China, Washington, Center for China, United States, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Jakarta, Moscow, Asia, University of California San Diego’s

Washington-based analysts say Wang's return to the ministry should help China's foreign ministry resume normal operations after weeks of international speculation about Qin's fate. In the Chinese system, the top diplomat is not foreign minister but rather the director of the Chinese Communist Party's foreign affairs commission, a role Wang will continue to hold. Still, Wang's reappointment is a sign of problems in China's foreign policy establishment, said Blanchette. On Tuesday, content mentioning Qin was quickly removed from China's foreign ministry website after Wang's appointment. The tab on the website that typically holds the biography of the foreign minister simply read "Updating."

Persons: Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Xi Jinping's, Qin, Xi, Wang, Joseph Torigian, Vedant Patel, Blinken, Joe Biden, Rorry Daniels, Wang's, China's, Jude Blanchette, Craig Singleton, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Don Durfee Organizations: Communist, American University, U.S . State Department, U.S, APEC, Asia Society Policy Institute, Communist Party, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, Beijing, U.S, China, China's, Xi's, India, California, Taiwan, scold Washington, Lincoln

☆ China and the US are talking -- but can they work together?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Beijing views Washington as bent on suppressing its development and global rise, while Washington has proclaimed the need to protect its national security and the world order from an increasingly authoritarian and assertive China. Washington last year imposed sweeping curbs on exports of critical technology to China in the name of security, and Beijing has responded with export controls of its own. China has refused US overtures to restore those ties, apparently until Washington removes sanctions against its defense minister Li Shangfu. US climate envoy John Kerry during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in the Great Hall of the People on July 18, 2023 in Beijing, China. But all this doesn’t mean there’s no room to work together, according to Shanghai-based international relations scholar Shen Dingli.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Li Qiang, Wang Yi, –, ”, Chong Ja Ian, “, Suisheng Zhao, Kerry, Wang, ” Yellen, Li, Li Shangfu, Shi Yinhong, Florence Lo, Shen Dingli, ” Shen, Shen, Blinken, ” Blinken, Xi, Qin Gang, Yun Sun, Chong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Washington, US, Treasury, National University of Singapore, US Air Force, Air Force, South Carolina . U.S . Air Force, Department of Defense, Reuters, Center for, Cooperation, University of Denver, China’s Communist Party, Renmin University, of, CNN, ”, Economic Cooperation, Foreign, China Program, Stimson, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, China, Taiwan, Bali, —, South Carolina . U.S, Washington, Center for China, South, Shanghai, Asia, Singapore

☆ China will cut carbon emissions at its own pace, Xi says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —China will follow its own path to cut carbon emissions, leader Xi Jinping vowed Tuesday, as US climate envoy John Kerry called for faster action to confront the climate crisis in a high-profile visit to Beijing. Xi told a national conference on environmental protection that China’s commitment to its duel carbon goals – reaching a carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 – is “unwavering,” according to state news agency Xinhua. In the meeting with Li, Kerry stressed the “need for China to decarbonize the power sector, cut methane emissions, and reduce deforestation,” a spokesperson for the US State Department said in a statement. China and other fast developing nations have long argued that the world’s richest countries, especially those in the West, were able to become wealthy while churning out huge carbon emissions for decades. The US has said climate cooperation with China should be a standalone issue, separate from their disputes.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kerry, Xi, –, ”, Kerry, Li Qiang, Wang Yi, Li, Nancy Pelosi’s, Wang, Han Zheng Organizations: CNN, Xinhua, China’s, US State Department, Taiwan –, Reuters Locations: China, Beijing, Washington, United States, Taiwan

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Alibaba's Ele.me platform signs wages, safety contracts as tech crackdown ends - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - Alibaba's Ele.me on Thursday became China's first delivery platform to sign collective contracts on wages and labour safety with its staff, official media reported, as Beijing signals an end to its crackdown on the tech sector. The contracts will apply to 3 million workers on the platform across 11,000 delivery stations in China, according to state-backed media Workers' Daily. The contracts "fully addressed" workers' biggest issues such as labour remuneration, protection and insurance benefits, the report said. Ele.me and service providers are also required to improve communication channels with food delivery couriers, the report added. Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Ethan Wang in Beijing; editing by Jason Neely and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alibaba, Ele.me's, Premier Li Qiang, Meituan, Brenda Goh, Ethan Wang, Jason Neely, Devika Organizations: Workers, Premier, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Shanghai

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta -State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi attends during a trilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar UlfianaJuly 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday as officials gather in Indonesia for ASEAN meetings, the State Department said in announcing the latest in series of interactions between the rival superpowers. Wang is representing China at the Jakarta meetings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and partner countries after Beijing said Foreign Minister Qin Gang would not attend due to health reasons. Blinken met Qin and Wang in Beijing last month, marking the first visit to China by a U.S. secretary of state in five years. Wang, who is the foreign policy chief for the Chinese Communist Party, ranks above Qin, who as the foreign minister is the government's foreign policy chief.

Persons: Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Retno Marsudi, Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Wang, Qin Gang, Blinken, Qin, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Daniel Kritenbrink, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Perry Organizations: Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Indonesian Foreign, Russia's, REUTERS, ASEAN, State Department, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Foreign, U.S, Treasury, Chinese Communist Party, Pentagon, NATO, senior State Department, East, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, China, Beijing, United States, Asia, U.S, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Pacific, East Asia

☆ China's Q2 GDP seen rising 7.3% y/y but on low base, recovery fades: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Economic growth is likely to slow to 4.8% in the third quarter and 5.3% in the fourth, with full-year growth expected to reach 5.5%, the poll showed. China's central bank on Monday extended until the end of 2024 some policies which were unveiled in a November rescue package to shore up the real estate sector, including loan repayment extensions for developers. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the central bank to cut banks' reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25 basis points in the third quarter, while keeping benchmark lending rates steady. The central bank cut the RRR - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves - in March. But the central bank is likely to be wary of cutting lending rates further.

Persons: it's, Zhang Yiping, Li Qiang, Devayani Sathyan, Susobhan Sarkar, Jing Wang, Kevin Yao, Kim Coghill Organizations: Beijing, Reuters, Gross, China Merchants Securities, stoke, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Bengaluru, Shanghai

☆ Blinken to meet China's Wang Yi in Jakarta - State Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK/LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - One of the world's top insurers is mulling offloading its property reinsurance business in a bid to cut its exposure to natural disasters like hurricanes, according to three people familiar with the matter. Prices for U.S. property catastrophe reinsurance rose by as much as 50% at a key July 1 renewal date, broker Gallagher Re said in a recent report. AXA has been trying to reduce the exposure of its AXA XL property and casualty (P&C) division - which houses XL Re - in an effort to make earnings more predictable. This has caused the reinsurance business to shrink, with revenues dropping by nearly a third last year to $3.2 billion, according to AXA's 2022 accounts. In May, American International Group (AIG.N) agreed the sale of its reinsurance arm Validus Re for roughly $3 billion, or about 1.4 times the unit's book value.

Persons: Reinsurers, Hurricane Ian, Gallagher Re, David French, Pablo Mayo, Amy, Jo Crowley, Carolyn Cohn, Echo Wang, Silvia Aloisi, John O'Donnell, Conor Humphries Organizations: AXA SA, XL, Covea, AXA, AXA XL, American International, Fidelis Insurance Holdings, Reuters, Hamilton Insurance, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Thomson Locations: Bermuda, New York, London, Paris

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