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☆ China capital Beijing experiences first population decline since 2003
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Beijing's population decline was in line with national trends, with China's population falling last year for the first time in six decades, weighed down by rising living costs especially in big, sprawling cities like Beijing, weak economic growth, and changing attitudes towards raising a family. "These figures are expected, especially for Beijing," said Xiujian Peng, senior research fellow at the Centre of Policy Studies at Victoria University in Australia. The birth rates in Beijing and other cities and provinces are calculated based on the permanent residents not including migrant population, she said. Beijing's natural population growth was minus 0.05 per 1,000 people last year. China's birth rate last year was 6.77 births per 1,000 people, the lowest on record, while the country's death rate, the highest since 1974, was 7.37 deaths per 1,000 people.

Investors know the event risk so they tighten controls, and are generally more cautious. Calendar event risk, or 'known unknowns,' may unleash market volatility, but investors can hedge or sit on the sidelines. chartNominal trading volumes in these contracts often spikes up on 'event days' like U.S. jobs and inflation data days. However, as a share of overall options turnover - which Cheng says is a better indication of potential market risk - many of the recent peaks have been on random 'non-event' days. chartHe and his colleagues estimate that the daily notional value of trading in '0DTE' options has grown to about $1 trillion.

☆ Time and money for love: China brainstorms ways to boost birth rate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Farah Master | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China dug itself into a demographic hole largely through its one-child policy imposed between 1980 and 2015. Young people cite high childcare and education costs, low incomes, a feeble social safety net and gender inequalities, as discouraging factors. "But without any fertility encouragement policy then fertility will decline even further." China's birth rate last year fell to 6.77 births per 1,000 people, from 7.52 births in 2021, the lowest on record. Demographer Yi Fuxian remains sceptical whether any measures would have a significant impact by themselves, saying China needed a "paradigm revolution of its entire economy, society, politics and diplomacy to boost fertility."

☆ 0DTE options could turn 5% intraday market decline into 25% rout -JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Trading in new near-dated U.S. options contracts can supercharge volatility in U.S. stocks, potentially leading to tremendous intraday declines, analysts at JPMorgan said. The U.S. equity options market has seen a rise in the trading of options contracts set to expire at the end of the trading day - dubbed 0DTE (zero day to expiry) options - with their daily notional value rising to about $1 trillion, according to JPMorgan data. Their recent growth has been eyed as one cause of intraday volatility, with JPMorgan's Marko Kolanovic last month warning they could spark a massive volatility event under certain circumstances. Such a scenario could occur if the S&P 500 fell 5% in five minutes, triggering $30.5 billion in 0DTE option-related trading that would tack another 20 percentage points onto the index's decline, the bank’s analysts said. Furthermore, JPM noted that retail traders were not the main driver of volume growth in 0DTE options, with individual investors accounting for about 20% of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY.P) options volume and only around 5% of the S&P 500 same-day options.

BATU PAHAT, Malaysia, March 4 (Reuters) - Flooding resulting from days of torrential rain has forced almost 40,000 people to flee their homes in Malaysia's southern Johor state, bordering Singapore, and at least four people have died during the past week, officials said on Saturday. Authorities have set up more than 200 relief shelters for people displaced by the floods, the national disaster management agency said. Floods in Malaysia are common during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but the downpour this week left many Johor residents scrambling to find shelter. While Johor was worst-hit, there was flooding in other states too that displaced hundreds of people. The meteorological department warned of more rain in coming days, mostly in the southern states.

☆ Kenyan traders protest against Chinese competitor's cheap prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - More than a thousand Kenyan traders protested in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday against a new Chinese-owned retail shop they accuse of undercutting them with ultra-low prices. Traders in Kenya and other rapidly growing economies in Africa have protested periodically against their Chinese competitors. China is Africa's top trading partner and more than 1 million Chinese are estimated to reside on the continent. Kenya's relationship with China was in focus during last year's presidential election, won by William Ruto. The Kenyan traders have been angered by a newly opened China Square retail shop on the outskirts of Nairobi, whose prices for everyday goods like curtains imported from China are on average 50% cheaper than those brought in by local traders.

[1/7] Farmer Wang Zhanling sits next to his wife in their house in Quansheng village, Heilongjiang Province, China, February 8, 2023. The state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences sees the pension system running out of money by 2035. "If the pension system does not change, this is unsustainable," said Xiujian Peng, senior research fellow in the Centre of Policy Studies at Victoria University in Australia. The province has the lowest birth rate in China, with just over 100,000 births in 2021 and 460,000 deaths. Many experts, including Macquarie's chief China economist Larry Hu, suggest implementing a unified national pension system, backstopped by the more resourceful central government rather than cash-strapped local administrations.

☆ Swiatek says WTA must grow and continue push for pay equality
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WTA Tour events, however, still often offer less prize money than those on the men's tour which operates its own circuit. "For sure, I'd like to see the WTA expanding business-wise, getting more popular, cutting the difference between WTA and ATP in terms of prize money and attracting fans," Swiatek told reporters in Dubai. There's something you can find in women's tennis that you're not going to find on the ATP," Swiatek said. American Jessica Pegula, the world number three and a member of the WTA player council, echoed Swiatek. "I hope we can keep pushing for equal prize money at all events, being on TV more," Pegula said.

☆ China has to figure out how to care for 400 million people over the age of 60 by 2040 — and it's off to a rocky start
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

By 2040, it's expected to have 400 million people above the age of 60 — more people than in the entire US. "It's obvious that relying on contributions from medical insurance schemes to fund age care services is not likely to be viable in the longer term," she said. Alzheimer's is quickly rising as a concern in China, Luk said. "Is China aging rapidly? Beijing has been pressuring the private sector into building daycare centers, wards, and other age care infrastructure to shore up gaps in local government finances, Gu said.

☆ Sending a spy balloon was a 'clumsy' move by China that 'put a missile' through an already bad situation with the US, foreign policy expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Chinese spy balloon "put a missile" through an already strained relationship with the US, an expert said. The balloon incident also torpedoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-stakes trip to China. The Chinese balloon was an "incredibly clumsy gesture" on Beijing's part and it "deprived us of a very important moment to arrest the downward spiral," Schell said. And though Beijing has admitted that the downed balloon belonged to China, it has insisted it was a weather balloon that blew off course. Glaser added that it is also not in the US' interests "to completely rupture" its relationship with China.

October 2022 Wang Linfang,92, molecular biologist Four members of China’s two most prestigious academic institutions died in October – in line with the average in recent years. October 2022 Wang Linfang,92, molecular biologist Four members of China’s two most prestigious academic institutions died in October – in line with the average in recent years. Zhang Guocheng, 91 Zhao Zisen, 90, developed China’s first practical optical fiber Tang Hongxiao, 91 The obituaries began accumulating. October 2022 Wang Linfang,92, molecular biologist Four members of China’s two most prestigious academic institutions died in October – in line with the average in recent years. October 2022 Wang Linfang,92, molecular biologist Four members of China’s two most prestigious academic institutions died in October – in line with the average in recent years.

☆ Inside the private meeting at Jack Ma's apartment where he plotted to take on Silicon Valley with a trusted 'ragtag bunch' of early employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Brian A. Wong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In one apartment, Jack, Lucy Peng, and a few other leaders worked alongside the firm's engineers. Everyone's enthusiasm flowed from their strong identification with the company's mission and Jack's vision, and if it was part of our mission, all believed, it was certainly achievable. In fact, in time, I would grow to better understand and more deeply embrace Alibaba's mission, vision, and values and the way they motivated our people. That's what Savio Kwan, Alibaba's first COO, did, codifying Jack's ideas into our company mission, vision, and values. Their efforts would form the basis of Alibaba's core mission, vision, and values statement— the guiding force or beliefs for Alibaba's development then and now.

☆ Inside Ken Griffin's rise to one of Wall Street's most powerful people, and why politics could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

JB and I are not on speaking terms these days," said Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge-fund manager, referring to JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois. As Florida rolled back pandemic restrictions more quickly than Chicago, even more Citadel employees migrated south. Ken Griffin's hedge fund has had a run of eye-popping returns since 2020. Others worry that it gives Griffin's hedge fund an unfair advantage. Hundreds of Citadel employees, partners, and families gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida.

☆ Zhang wishes WTA could return to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Chinese number one Zhang Shuai hopes the WTA tour can return to her country this season as it opens up after abandoning the "zero-COVID" policy but said the Peng Shuai issue was out of her control. Former WTA player Peng accused a senior Chinese government official of sexual assault in 2021 in a post on social media that was soon removed from the country's internet. Peng's post caused an international outcry over her safety and led the WTA to suspend tournaments in China - a decision expected to cost the women's tour hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship. The WTA has said a return to China would require a resolution to the Peng situation and its 2023 tour calendar lists events only up to the U.S. Open, with no clarity on tournaments to be held in China. read moreAsked whether Peng should meet with the WTA as a step to resolving the impasse, Zhang declined to offer a view.

☆ Hedge funds that punted early on China recovery reaped the rewards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Summer Zhen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The hedge funds that used that as a buying opportunity profited, with tourism and consumption stocks quickly rebounding after Beijing adopted a more targeted COVID-19 policies and reduced quarantines following widespread anti-lockdown protests. The MSCI China index rose by 36% over November and December, even as a surge in case numbers cast doubt over the economic recovery in the short term. The strategy, managed by chief investment officer Peng She, made a 20% net return in 2022. For 2023, hedge fund managers said they were even more bullish about China, expecting traditional valuation metrics to return to focus after a year driven by macro events. Reporting by Summer Zhen; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil mixed amid weak China economic data, sustained hopes for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of Phillips 66 oil refinery in the United States. There was no settlement on Monday due to the United States having a holiday for Martin Luther King Day. The poor economic data still beat analysts' earlier forecasts as Beijing's roll back of its zero-Covid policy in December shored up consumption. But Peng warned that China still faced considerable headwinds, including likely recessions in the United States and Europe this year. A rise in the dollar off seven-month lows also put pressure on oil prices, as a stronger greenback makes oil more expensive for those holding other currencies.

Shifts in tones at big banks suggest they are warming up to Chinese equities, especially as the strong returns so far and the fear of missing out on more gains start to apply pressure. "This is still a long path and we remain very bullish on Chinese equities ...and also the currency," he said. "When the market goes up, naturally that will attract international investors to look at China again," said Nicholas Yeo, head of China equities at abrdn. Foreign investors bought a net 41 billion yuan ($6.06 billion) of China stocks via the China-Hong Kong Stock Connect Scheme so far this year, compared with 90 billion yuan of China stocks bought in all of 2022. They bought a net 35 billion yuan of China stocks in December.

☆ Tesla is among the stocks that retail traders just dumped en masse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Retail traders unloaded $3.1 billion in assets this past week, making it the third worst week of net selling in history, according to JPMorgan. Overall, retail traders dumped $4.1 billion in single stocks. Tesla was hit particularly hard, with retail traders selling $811 million of the stock. Retail traders embraced the electric vehicle maker throughout the volatile year. However, some Wall Street analysts have pointed to his takeover of Twitter and his sale of 22 million Tesla shares as problematic for the stock.

[1/3] Philippines' President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos are photographed with China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Li Yuan during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 4, 2023. Office of the Press Secretary/Handout via REUTERSSummary Philippines, China sign 14 bilateral dealsXi pledged solution on plight of Filipino fishers -MarcosChina promised cooperation, investmentBEIJING/MANILA Jan 4 (Reuters) - China is ready to resume oil and gas talks and manage maritime issues "cordially" with the Philippines, China President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, according to Chinese state television. Xi was speaking to his Philippines counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who was on a three-day visit to Beijing. The Philippines had previously raised concerns over reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Beijing's vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea. While the Philippines is a defence ally of the United States, under previous leader Rodrigo Duterte it set aside a territorial spat over the South China Sea in exchange for Chinese investment.

☆ WTA says return to China will require resolution to Peng case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Peng had accused Chinese former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault in 2021 in a post on social media that was soon removed from the country's internet. "There has not been any change in the WTA position on a return to China and we have only confirmed our 2023 calendar through U.S. Open," the WTA said in a statement. The WTA said it had received confirmation Peng was safe and comfortable but were yet to meet with her personally. "We continue to hold firm on our position and our thoughts remain with Peng," the statement added. In July last year, men's governing body ATP had cancelled its events in China due to the COVID-19 crisis in the country.

☆ Xi Jinping estimates China’s 2022 GDP grew at least 4.4%. But Covid misery looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s economy grew at least 4.4% in 2022, according to leader Xi Jinping, a figure much stronger than many economists had expected. China’s annual GDP is expected to have exceeded 120 trillion yuan ($17.4 trillion) last year, Xi said in a televised New Year’s Eve speech on Saturday. Economists had generally expected growth to slump to a rate between 2.7% and 3.3% for 2022. But an explosion of Covid infections, triggered by the abrupt easing of pandemic restrictions in early December, is clouding the outlook. However, some forecast the economy will rebound after March, as people learn to live with Covid.

☆ What retail investors are investing in and what to expect for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It's been a tough year for retail investors — and it's not necessarily expected to get any easier in 2023. "Post-Covid overall net inflow of retail investors has tripled, and almost quadrupled, and stayed there." When it comes to individual stocks, retail investors are buying companies such as Tesla , Apple and Nvidia , according to Vanda Research. Retail investors will likely stick with their game plan into 2023, said Vanda Research's Iachini. "We struggle to see retail investors going back to speculation or doubling down on risky bets to try to make up their losses," he said.

☆ Southeast Asian venture capital firms expect to be pickier in 2023 than in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Venture capital-backed companies only raised $369 billion for the first three quarters of 2022, according to Crunchbase data. Malte Mueller | Fstop | Getty ImagesVenture capital firms in Southeast Asia will probably be pickier next year, with valuations plunging and economic headwinds slowing growth in 2022. Sequoia Southeast Asia raised a $850 million fund in June, East Ventures raised $550 million in July, and Insignia Ventures Partners raised $516 million in August. Indonesia-based e-grocery company HappyFresh ceased operations in Malaysia after seven years, while Grab discontinued its quick commerce service GrabMart Kilat in Indonesia. "The 15-minute model of quick commerce in Southeast Asia is very difficult because the unit economics are very negative.

☆ Retail investors turn to ETFs as recession fears knock down meme stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Medha Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Retail investors are doubling down on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as rising interest rates and volatile markets curb their appetite for risky assets such as meme stocks, SPACs and cryptocurrencies. On average, retail investors' portfolios are down about 39% in 2022 after recording gains of 18% in 2021, JPMorgan analysts Peng Cheng and Emma Wu said. The investment trend, however, is leaning more toward ETFs tracking broader markets and away from the meme stock frenzy of 2021 that saw retail investors banding together on social media forums to fuel eye-popping gains in GameStop (GME.N), AMC (AMC.N) and others. Retail investors' average daily trading volume in U.S. stocks has amounted to $13.8 billion so far in 2022, compared with $14.2 billion a year earlier, which was the peak of meme stock trading frenzy, according to the report. Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday voted to propose some of the biggest changes to American equity market structure in nearly two decades, aimed at boosting transparency and fairness while increasing competition for individual investors' stock orders.

☆ Vatican says China violated pact on bishops, wants explanation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Aly SongVATICAN CITY, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday accused Chinese authorities of violating a bilateral pact on the appointment of bishops by installing one in a diocese not recognised by the Holy See. A statement said the Vatican learned with "surprise and regret" that the bishop of another district had been installed as auxiliary, or assistant, bishop in Jiangxi. The unauthorized installation appeared to be one of the most serious violations of a 2018 agreement between the Vatican and Beijing on the appointment of bishops. The Vatican was expecting an explanation from Chinese authorities and was hoping that the "similar episodes are not repeated," the statement said. The Vatican statement came a day after a Hong Kong court found Zen and five others guilty of failing to register a now-disbanded fund for pro-democracy protesters.

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