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Statements from Washington and Beijing on meetings between Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Chinese officials including Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu were positive, describing the talks as candid and productive. But critics have questioned U.S. overtures to China, arguing that past decades of engagement have failed to change Beijing's behaviour. "We're working hard to manage the relationship as best as we possibly can," said Kritenbrink, when asked by reporters in Beijing on Tuesday about the current state of bilateral ties. Asked if Blinken would visit China soon, Kritenbrink said: "We'll see, I have nothing to announce." Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ella Cao; Editing by Kim Coghill and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Kritenbrink, Ma Zhaoxu, Kritenbrink, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Biden, Xi Jinping, Ryan Woo, Ella Cao, Kim Coghill, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Foreign, U.S ., . Defense, U.S . State Department, ., Global Times, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Washington, U.S, Chinese, Taiwan, South China, United States, Asia, San Francisco

☆ Florentijn Hofman’s ‘Rubber Duck’ returns to Hong Kong — and now there are two
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A decade since it famously appeared in Victoria Harbour, Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s “Rubber Duck” sculpture has returned to Hong Kong. “Double duck is double luck,” Hofman said in a statement. One of artist Florentijn Hofman's "Rubber Duck" sculptures famously appeared in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour in 2013. In the years since first arriving in Hong Kong, “Rubber Duck” has appeared in the waters of cities such as Seoul and Los Angeles. Ahead of the installation, images of the pair have been pasted on the side of the city’s trams and at subway stations around Hong Kong.

Persons: Florentijn, peng ”, ” Hofman, . Cheng, Jiang Zemin Organizations: CNN, Ducks, Victoria Harbour, South China Morning, Social Locations: Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, Tsing, France, Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paolo, Hong, Victoria, South, Weibo, Seoul, Los Angeles, Keelung, Santiago , Chile

☆ An albino giant panda thought to be the only one in the world was filmed in the wild in China — take a look
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An all-white giant panda was spotted in China's Wolong National Nature Reserve. It is thought to be the only albino giant panda in the world. Footage captured at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province shows the panda with a female panda and a cub, per China Xinhua News. It is believed to be the only albino giant panda in the world, according to South China Morning Post. The panda in Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan province, southwest China.

Persons: —, Li Sheng Organizations: Nature Reserve, Service, China Xinhua, China Morning Post, Nature, ABC, Peking University Locations: Sichuan Province, China, Sichuan, ABC Australia

BEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - The Chinese envoy who toured European capitals last month seeking to promote Ukraine peace talks said on Friday that Beijing is considering another mission, after acknowledging that his trip may not produce immediate results. "China is willing to actively consider sending another delegation to relevant countries to engage in dialogue on resolving the Ukraine crisis," said Li, without elaborating on which countries. "As long as it's conducive to easing the situation, China is willing to do anything," he said. Earlier this year, China published a 12-point peace plan, calling for the protection of civilians and the sovereignty of all countries be respected. "I don't think we expect China to be a mediator, but it can use its influence on Russia and can help make it understand."

Persons: Li Hui, Li, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, Ethan Wang, John Irish, Alexander Ratz, Robert Birsel, David Holmes Organizations: Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Beijing, Russia, Moscow, China, Kyiv, Warsaw, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, United States, Europe

☆ An employee in China was fired for taking toilet breaks of up to 6 hours a day, which he said was due to a medical issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A company in China fired an employee after he had to take toilet breaks of up to 6 hours, per Laodong Daily. The employee underwent surgery for an anorectal issue in December 2014 but was still in pain. Wang then started spending three to six hours in the toilet every day from July 2015, according to state-linked Laodong Daily, which focuses on labor-related news. Some companies in China have come under scrutiny for cracking down on toilet breaks, per South China Morning Post in a Thursday report. In 2021, a tech company in southern China angered employees by fining those who use the toilet more than once a day, per SCMP.

Persons: —, Wang, Shanghai's Organizations: Service, Chinese Communist Party, Weibo, China Morning Locations: China, Tianjin

Economists expect such examples to become increasingly common in coming years, as a glut of university graduates and a shortage of factory labour due to an ageing workforce deepen China's job market imbalances. The industries most popular among fresh Chinese graduates, such as tech, education, real estate and finance, have all faced regulatory crackdowns in recent years. Reuters Graphics'ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES'It is unclear exactly how many graduates are taking jobs below their skill level, but state media has acknowledged the trend. President Xi Jinping repeatedly exhorted young people to "seek hardships" in a recent state media article emphasising his suffering during the Cultural Revolution. China's education and human resources ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Liang Huaxiao, Liang, Keyu Jin, Xi Jinping, today's, Chim Lee, Jobs, Han Zhaoxue, master's, Wang, Laurie Chen, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Economist Intelligence Unit, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Taiyuan, Shanghai, Jining

☆ Horrific World War II bunker where Japanese scientists experimented on prisoners with biological weapons, found by archaeologists, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Archaeologists found a bunker used by WWII Japanese scientists to conduct human experiments, says a report. The Japanese scientists captured by the US were granted immunity in exchange for their research findings. Japanese scientists exposed prisoners to pathogens and dissected them to learn about the effects on the human body. The researchers are yet to enter the bunkers, but the survey has revealed details about the underground structures, South China Morning Post reported. Most of the surface-level buildings at the Anda site were destroyed in 1945 to erase evidence of the experiments, but the underground structures remain, archaeologists said.

☆ US-based Forrester Research to close China office
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. tech research and advisory firm Forrester Research (FORR.O) has decided to close its office in mainland China after the country's government increased scrutiny on western consultancies. The crackdowns "send a worrying signal and heighten the uncertainty felt by foreign companies operating in China", the EU's Chamber of Commerce in China said earlier this month. Forrester Research has begun to let go of employees and plans to lay off most of its analysts in the country, the South China Morning Post reported earlier on Thursday, citing a person with knowledge on the matter. The Financial Times has also reported, citing sources, on the firm's plans to lay off the majority of its China analysts due to Beijing's intensified scrutiny of western consultancies in the country. Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Several foreign missions in China raised the Ukrainian flag, or displayed its image in posters and lights, following the February 2022 invasion that sparked international condemnation of Russia, a close ally of China. "Do not use the building facilities' exterior walls to display politicised propaganda to avoid inciting disputes between countries," China's foreign ministry said in a notification dated May 10. The notice, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, was addressed to "all embassies, and international organisations' China representative offices". The foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has called for a peace in Ukraine but has refrained from condemning Russia, leading to criticism from Western countries.

Under current guidelines, single women are barred from freezing their eggs, with assisted reproductive technologies only available to married women with fertility issues. In recent months, some provinces have extended childbirth benefits for unmarried women, and in the southwestern province of Sichuan province single women are increasingly undergoing IVF treatments in private clinics. SOCIAL STIGMALike many Chinese women, Xu spent her twenties and early thirties focused on career development, but was constantly reminded of women's fertility decline with age. "I think society should stop this stigma and recognise the diverse circumstances of single women, as well as their courage and independence." "I hope that all single women can achieve bodily autonomy and reproductive autonomy, and that everyone is allowed to have the space for making independent choices," she said.

Capvision said in a statement soon after the broadcast that it would resolutely abide by national security rules. The CCTV report was the first clear indication of the national security scope of recent police action against several consulting firms. "The state security organ and other authorities will intensify law enforcement against activities that endanger national security, such as illegal consulting," the state-owned Global Times said. The revisions will see all documents, data, materials and items "related to national security and interests" given the same protection as state secrets. The law does not define China's national security or interests.

BEIJING, May 8 (Reuters) - The Global Times, a hawkish Chinese state media tabloid, on Monday criticised a letter of protest sent to it by South Korea's embassy in China, the latest public spat amid worsening ties between the Asian neighbours. The South Korean embassy "expressed strong regret over a series of unreasonable slanderous articles" from the Global Times, in a letter of protest published Friday on its website. In its editorial, the Global Times slammed the embassy's "brutal interference in (its) independent reporting". South Korea's embassy in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a similar incident last December, China's ambassador in South Korea criticised Korean media for stoking anti-China sentiment.

☆ Talk of banning short sales is suddenly in the air, but history argues against it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It's just a hop, skip and a jump away from the obvious conclusion: ban short sellers! There are already rules to prevent violation of short selling rules Fortunately, the SEC has not (at least yet) jumped on this bandwagon. Gensler, however, has made it clear he is looking out for bad actors who may be violating existing laws on short selling. For example, there are rules that prohibit naked short selling , the practice of short selling shares that haven't first been borrowed. When short selling is banned, traders who want to buy stock but need to hedge their risk will be hesitant to do so."

☆ One of the world's most expensive cities just raised the minimum wage by 32 cents an hour — and it's getting absolutely slammed for it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Financial hub Hong Kong is one of the world's most expensive cities. On Monday, the city raised its minimum wage by 32 cents to about $5.1 per hour. A wage hike of 2.5 Hong Kong dollars, or roughly 32 cents, means that Hong Kong's minimum wage is now 40 Hong Kong dollars per hour — a 7% increase from 37.50 Hong Kong dollars previously, per the announcement. In 2022, Hong Kong was the most expensive city to live in, according to consulting firm Mercer's cost of living list of over 200 cities. The society added the minimum wage should be at least 53.40 Hong Kong dollars — 30% over the current level.

☆ China's latest addition to its disputed South China Sea outpost: a hot pot restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Laura Zhou | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The restaurant opened in late April and can seat 120 at once, the local government says. Woody Island, known as Yongxing in China, is the largest outcrop in the group of about 30 islands making up the Paracels. The government, headquartered on Woody Island, administers both the Paracels and the also hotly contested Spratly island chain, which China calls the Nansha Islands. A satellite photo of Woody Island in March 2018. The centre is also seen as a way to demonstrate Beijing's sovereignty in the region by linking underwater artefacts from the South China Sea — "an important section of the Maritime Silk Road" — to Chinese cultural heritage.

☆ Exotic turtles have been poached to near-extinction in Asia, but in Hong Kong, these species thrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists in Hong Kong are trying to save three species of turtles, CNN reports. Meanwhile, the Golden coin turtle, a striped turtle once considered an integral part of Chinese folk medicine, can go for hundreds of American dollars, CNN reported. "The situation has come to a point where it cannot be worse," Sung told CNN. The researchers told CNN that each species' population is now in the hundreds, with the Golden coin turtle being the rarest of all, with only around 100 in Hong Kong. Experts told CNN that since 2015, authorities, including the city's police and local wildlife organizations, seized thousands of illegally hunted turtles.

☆ An 'air train' in China runs using an overhead magnetic track, never touching it as it glides through the air 30 feet above the ground — see it in action
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An 'air train' in China runs using an overhead magnetic track, never touching it as it glides through the air 30 feet above the ground — see it in actionChina's "Red Rail" air train glides through the air without touching the track above it or anything below. Hu Chenhuan/Xinhua via Getty Images The Red Rail glides through the air suspended about 10 meters, or 33 feet, above the ground. Photo by Hu Chenhuan/Xinhua via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post It has two cars that can carry 88 passengers total. Photo by Jiang Tao/China News Service via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post In its experimental phase, the track is 800 meters long, or roughly 2,620 feet. Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images Source: South China Morning Post Read next China Trains Business Visual Features More...

The fifth of young Chinese without jobs among a highly-educated generation is a record. The number of master's and Ph.D graduates in Beijing exceeds undergraduates for the first time, education authorities said. "However, young people who really pin their hopes on the gods and Buddhas when under pressure are also clearly going astray." "I don't believe I will ever find my ideal job," said the urban planning graduate, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her job prospects. "Why, instead of helping private enterprises develop, do you blame 11.58 million graduates for not taking off their scholar gowns?"

☆ China says its newest aircraft carrier will be able to launch 'new-type aircraft'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jack Lau | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Chinese navy currently operates two aircraft carriers. Neither carrier features the Fujian's signature catapult system, which allows planes to launch more frequently and carry more fuel and munitions. Despite plans for the navy to gain the ability to operate globally, the CCTV report only referred to operations in domestic waters when saying that China would build more aircraft carriers. "But due to China's vast oceans, the demand cannot be met with only three aircraft carriers — the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. Therefore, new aircraft carriers are bound to be built in the future."

The protests, unprecedented in President Xi Jinping's decade in power, began in late November in cities across China. They were suppressed by police within days but helped hasten the end of three years of tough COVID restrictions, sources have previously told Reuters. The Ministry of Public Security and the Beijing Public Security Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Human Rights Watch had reported the pair were among four protesters detained in December and charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", which carries a sentence of up to five years. Reuters could not independently verify the total number of protesters who were detained by police or have been charged and remain in custody.

☆ India’s population is on track to exceed China’s, but a report says its workforce is weighed down by thousands of people with worthless college degrees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

As India's population inches past China's, it remains burdened by a workforce with worthless degrees. This glut of incompetent workers comes as India's population is set to overtake China's by mid-2023, per the United Nations. While some colleges provide inadequate training, a private university in North India went one step further, and sold fake degrees. Bloomberg's report on India's failing education system comes as India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous country. By mid-2023, India's population is estimated to reach 1.4286 billion, 2.9 million more than China's 1.4257 billion people, per the United Nations Population Fund's "State of World Population Report."

"The EU requested to the Chinese authorities their immediate and unconditional release," the spokesperson said. "China's ongoing crackdown on human rights activists and lawyers is a well-known EU concern, which we raise at all levels." Yu Wensheng, 55, is a human rights lawyer who last year completed a four-year prison sentence for "subversion of state power". He was among more than 300 rights lawyers and activists arrested in a 2015 crackdown. The EU delegation in Beijing said on Friday three other human rights lawyers, Wang Quanzhang, Wang Yu and Bao Longjun, had been placed under house arrest.

Four months later, 26-year-old Huang fled to Germany and decided to speak out in support of fellow demonstrators, some of whom remain in detention. "I feel like I need to speak up for Cao Zhixin and the other detained protesters... China has not commented officially on the protests, whether they triggered the end of the zero-COVID policy or subsequent detentions. He was then sat near the front of a police bus full of other detained protesters. "As long as one protester is still detained, the world cannot stop paying attention to the white paper movement."

☆ China could start building a moon base with lunar-soil bricks in 5 years, amid NASA fears of a moon territory dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

China could be ready to start building its lunar base within five years, scientists said. China has made major strides in space exploration, recently launching its own crewed space station. "We will be using real moon soil to make the first brick right there on the moon," he added, per SCMP. These could be used to make habitats on the moon using traditional Chinese building techniques, he said. The agency wants to build its own station orbiting the moon, as well as an Artemis lunar base.

[1/2] Sophie Luo Shengchun, the wife of jailed Chinese human rights lawyer, Ding Jiaxi, poses with a photo of him at her home in Alfred, New York, U.S., July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidBEIJING, April 10 (Reuters) - A Chinese court sentenced two prominent human rights lawyers on Monday to jail terms of more than a decade each, a relative and rights groups told Reuters, the latest move in a years-long crackdown on civil society by President Xi Jinping. "I will not let them put Ding Jiaxi and Xu Zhiyong in jail so easily." Hundreds of rights lawyers were detained and dozens jailed in a series of arrests commonly known as "709" cases, referring to a crackdown on July 9, 2015. China rejects criticism of its human rights record, saying it is a country with rule of law and that jailed rights lawyers and activists are criminals who have broken the law.

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