9 h. ago Local government investigation into kindergarten lead poisoning in China reveals deep distrust in authorities

Local government investigation into kindergarten lead poisoning in China reveals deep distrust in authorities  News Channel 3-12

Politics

31 h. ago China’s local governments are approaching a fiscal black hole

China’s local governments are approaching a fiscal black hole  The Economist

Politics

7 d. ago China urged to issue 30 trillion yuan in bonds to tackle local debt crisis

China should issue 30 trillion yuan (US$4.2 trillion) in treasury bonds to swap local governments’ hidden liabilities to re-energise growth momentum and cut off financial risks at their root, a Beijing-based think tank has proposed. Such a move, combined with a few trillion yuan worth of additional bonds to shore up the property market, boost consumption and remove excessive industrial capacity, would be a strong step toward resolving China’s local-level debt and real estate crises once and for...

Events

8 d. ago Tesla China EV sales rise 3.7% in June amid surge in local competition

Tesla China EV sales rise 3.7% in June amid surge in local competition  Investing.com

Politics

8 d. ago Kazakhstan to donate 1,500 wild saiga to China after 75 years of local extinction

Kazakhstan to donate 1,500 wild saiga to China after 75 years of local extinction  Mongabay

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s South Lantau ecotourism plan may harm environment: green groups

Hong Kong’s ecotourism plans for South Lantau could be reduced to a property project that threatens the environment if authorities fail to set clear guidelines, green groups and academics have warned, as a deadline for developers to express their interest approaches on Wednesday. Greenpeace, along with the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society and eight other groups and academics, also said on Wednesday that the government’s approach, which includes allowing developers to propose ecotourism projects...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong’s South Lantau ecotourism plans could harm environment: green groups

Hong Kong’s South Lantau ecotourism plans could be reduced to property projects that threaten the environment if authorities fail to set clear guidelines, green groups and academics have warned ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for developers to express their interest. Greenpeace, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, seven other groups and an academic also said on Wednesday that the government’s approach, which includes allowing developers to propose ecotourism projects with residential...

Politics

9 d. ago Xpeng defies China’s EV price war with steady sales as Tesla and local rivals try to keep pace

Xpeng defies China’s EV price war with steady sales as Tesla and local rivals try to keep pace  CNBC

Economics

1 week ago China Enlists Commercial Insurers in Bid to Boost Local Biotechs

China Enlists Commercial Insurers in Bid to Boost Local Biotechs  Bloomberg.com

Politics

1 week ago The ‘family warehouses’ powering Shein and Temu’s rapid UK expansion

In Kevin Zhang’s quiet, two-storey house in Gloucester, hundreds of parcels blanket the living room floor. Each package – shipped from China – is bound for British customers who placed orders on Temu, TikTok Shop and AliExpress. Zhang, 49, moved to the United Kingdom from China’s rustbelt northeast in 2000, and spent years running a local nail salon. But in March, he sensed that something big was happening with China’s cross-border e-commerce platforms – and decided to make a change. He...

Society

1 week ago ‘Play safe’: why are local officials across China saying no to dining out?

Officials across China are avoiding dining out to “play safe”, as the country’s latest austerity drive spirals into an overbearing campaign of excessive control like many similar ones before it. Several officials interviewed said that the lifestyle change, even if temporary, was largely prompted by the ever-shifting local austerity measures, which could be even more stringent than the regulations originating from the central state and party bodies. An official in southwestern Sichuan province...

Politics

2 w. ago An hour swimming class with China sports star auctioned for US$14,000 for charity

A one-hour swimming class with top Chinese athlete Fu Yuanhui has been auctioned for 100,001 yuan (US$14,000), with the proceeds donated to a local charity. The auction, which garnered significant attention on mainland China’s social media, took place on June 18 on a leading platform, according to Elephant News. Zhejiang Ruoque Group, a hi-tech firm based in Hangzhou, secured the winning bid after 19 rounds of competitive bidding for the exclusive package, which includes a one-hour swimming...

Economics

2 w. ago Apple joins China’s subsidy scheme to lift sales amid heated local competition

Apple has joined China’s national subsidy programme, providing a boost to the US tech giant amid heightened competition from major domestic rivals and growing headwinds in the world’s second-largest economy. Consumers in Beijing and Shanghai are now entitled to discounts of up to 2,000 yuan (US$278) on select models of Apple devices – including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and MacBook – when they buy directly from the US company, according to a statement published on Tuesday on Apple’s mainland...

Politics

2 w. ago China dad rejects daughter’s US$72,000 wedding banquet bill, over cost, subpar food

A company boss in China set up 252 tables for his daughter’s grand wedding, then refused to pay the 520,000-yuan (US$72,000) bill. A pork vendor, surnamed Wang, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province said the boss of a local company, surnamed Qian, commissioned him to prepare food for his daughter’s wedding banquet in April. Wang said he dedicated himself to the task as he had known Qian for more than a decade. He provided the pork, contacted seafood vendors in another city in Zhejiang and bought...

Economics

3 w. ago Overbite: China urges officials to pull back on dining austerity drive

Leading publications of China’s ruling Communist Party have urged local governments to implement strictures on lavish banquets carefully, an attempt to temper overzealousness amid concerns from the country’s beleaguered food and beverage industry. Qiushi, the party’s theoretical journal, said in a commentary piece on Friday that recent affirmations of the need for frugality in official meals are intended to limit extravagant practices, not ordinary dining. “Some local governments scrutinise...

Politics

3 w. ago China urges officials to rein in overzealous dining austerity measures

Leading publications of China’s ruling Communist Party have urged local governments to implement strictures on lavish banquets carefully, an attempt to temper overzealousness amid concerns from the country’s beleaguered food and beverage industry. Qiushi, the party’s theoretical journal, said in a commentary piece on Friday that recent affirmations of the need for frugality in official meals are intended to limit extravagant practices, not ordinary dining. “Some local governments scrutinise...

Politics

3 w. ago China Beijing enlists local authorities' support in drive to secure military

China Beijing enlists local authorities' support in drive to secure military-industrial infrastructure  Intelligence Online

Events

3 w. ago China Will Hike Quota for Local Investors Buying Overseas Assets

China Will Hike Quota for Local Investors Buying Overseas Assets  Bloomberg.com

Economics

3 w. ago Why China’s officials are braced for another round of performance inspections

Chinese officials already have to deal with a series of inspectors knocking on their doors to keep tabs on their activities, but now they will also have a new group of “performance observers” looking over their shoulders to check that they are not wasting government funds. Local officials in China are often castigated for spending money on “white elephants”, such as flashy construction projects, in the hope these will provide a quick fix for the local economy and win favour with their...

Politics

last month China plans to turn Shenzhen into AI and aviation hub amid US sanctions

China has outlined a string of reforms to accelerate the development of hi-tech emerging industries in the city of Shenzhen, as the tech hub in southern China grapples with a barrage of US trade restrictions. The plan focuses on boosting Shenzhen’s ability to create scalable business models in industries such as artificial intelligence and aviation that can be replicated across China, by helping the city cultivate a larger talent pool, expand local companies’ access to financing, and speed up...

Politics