Mistral点评

• US Treasury to expand security reviews for land deals near military bases as concerns over Chinese land purchases grow
• Chinese migrants making perilous trek to US cross Mexican border with risks, dreams
• Xi calls for Ukraine ceasefire as Hungary’s Orban makes surprise stop in China
• China’s graduates told to embrace financial reshuffle, ‘don’t feel ashamed’ about career
• US-China ties may have hit a wall since Xi-Biden summit, noted Chinese commentator warns
• China tells Japan to ‘reflect on its history of aggression’ after signing Philippine defence pact
• With pessimism in China and optimism in India, confidence seen key to economic puzzle
• First-time China flier opens emergency exit thinking it is toilet door, sparks evacuation
• Former Chinese envoy cautions youth against ‘blind worship’ of US or assuming Western decline
• Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau apologises to fans for dangerous stunt during China concert
• China sales of lifelike masks that can ‘turn you into a celebrity’ spark crime fears
• Chinese military in Belarus for joint ‘anti-terrorist training’ on Polish border
• China scientists’ low-cost solid-state battery could be EV industry breakthrough
• Deadly tornado kills 5, injures 88 in China’s eastern Shandong province
• China’s central bank ups control of interest rates with new operations amid reform push
• Drought, floods, typhoons imperil crops and power as extreme weather spoils China’s summer
• Iron Man antics: China blast victim tries to remove metal shards from leg like superhero
• Hungary’s Orbán makes surprise visit to China after trips to Russia and Ukraine
• Meet Shen Haoze: China fitness KOL with 8 million fans makes Olympic public marathon event
• China’s localities need debt relief, academic says, backing treasury bonds to ease burdens
• Russia-North Korea pact is the price of China’s ‘strategic patience’
• Ukraine war briefing: Chinese troops hold military exercises with Belarus on Polish border
• Caring China celebrity couple praised for ending lab ordeal of severely injured beagle
• Chinese study finds link between genes, diet and skin conditions
• Why US moves have failed to ‘contain’ China and instead ‘bring us close to war’
• UN Agency: China Leading AI Patents Race

US Treasury to expand security reviews for land deals near military bases as concerns over Chinese land purchases grow

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3269667/us-seeks-boost-scrutiny-property-deals-near-military-sites-concerns-over-chinese-land-purchases-grow?utm_source=rss_feed

The United States plans to broaden oversight of foreigners’ property transactions on sites close to military installations, the Treasury Department said on Monday, as concerns involving Chinese land purchases grow.

“President Biden and I remain committed to using our strong investment screening tool to defend America’s national security, including actions that protect military installations from external threats,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

Under a proposed rule, more than 50 facilities will be added to a list of sites where surrounding property transactions may be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) – taking the total figure to 227.

CFIUS’s jurisdiction covers land purchases as well.

The concern is that a foreigner’s purchase or lease of certain properties could allow them to collect intelligence or “expose national security activities” to foreign surveillance risks, the Treasury noted.

A senior Treasury official said CFIUS’s jurisdiction was “country-agnostic” and did not specify if the latest rule was aimed at quelling concerns directed at specific countries such as China or Russia.

The US has become increasingly concerned about the national security risks posed by Chinese-linked purchases of property near sensitive military sites. A 2018 law expanded CFIUS’ authority to review foreign acquisitions of some non-controlling investments in US property transactions that pose national security concerns.

The proposed rule announced on Monday would expand CFIUS’ jurisdiction over land deals within one mile of 40 additional military sites and within 100 miles of 19 additional military installations.

The Treasury official said the rule would be the largest expansion of CFIUS’ review authority since the 2018 law was enacted.

“This latest update vastly expands the reach of CFIUS’ real estate jurisdiction while maintaining its sharp focus on national security,” the official said.

In May, US authorities announced that a Chinese-owned cryptocurrency firm was barred from using land near a strategic US nuclear missile base, over national security concerns.

MineOne Partners Limited was ordered to divest from land it bought in 2022, which sat less than a mile from Wyoming’s Francis E Warren Air Force Base – home to Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.

CFIUS had also raised concerns about the installation of “specialised” cryptocurrency mining equipment on the land which is “potentially capable of facilitating surveillance and espionage activities”.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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Chinese migrants making perilous trek to US cross Mexican border with risks, dreams

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3269668/chinese-migrants-making-perilous-trek-us-cross-mexican-border-risks-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed

At a bus stop near the Mexican border in San Diego, California, Chinese migrants waited with a mix of anxiety and anticipation for the US Border Patrol buses that arrived several times each day. For some, a bus’s arrival signalled a reunion with loved ones; for others, it marked the arrival of potential customers.

Many of those assembled in late April had recently made it out of immigration detention themselves, where they vied for cramped space and awaited “credible fear” interviews that would determine whether they were eligible for asylum – days after they illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico.

Some were held for only a few days, while others were stuck for weeks or months. Once they were released, buses took them to one of several drop-off points, where they were free to go anywhere in the US to file a claim for asylum.

Pan, a border crosser from Hubei province who arrived with his wife eight days earlier, paced as he waited for her to be released from detention. He hadn’t heard from her since their phones were confiscated after they were apprehended by the Border Patrol. “The US isn’t kind to women,” he grumbled.

Pan was one of an estimated 16,270 Chinese nationals who illegally crossed the southern US border in the first five months of 2024, contributing to a total of about 50,000 who have done so since January 2023.

Chinese migrants make up a single-digit percentage of the overall number of illegal border crossers, according to US Customs and Border Protection, but they represented the fastest-growing group from 2021 to 2023.

Unlike their Latin American counterparts who make up the bulk of the border crossers, Chinese migrants flee the world’s second largest economy, and typically travel through three continents before making it to American soil.

Through treacherous routes like the Darién Gap previously taken only by Central and South Americans, they arrive with dreams for a better life and stories of hardship that are received with as much scepticism as acceptance.

For the first time in 25 years, San Diego has become a top entry point for migrants crossing the southern US border.

Every day, volunteers and vendors alike gathered around the stop in San Ysidro, a district in the city, ready to provide or sell services to the newly arrived migrants from all over the world. Fliers with post-arrival instructions in different languages, including Chinese, covered tree trunks near the stop.

But even among the volunteers, there were already signs that not all migrants were welcome. One of the Spanish-speaking volunteers pointed to Pan, suspecting that he was lying about his wife being detained. “I don’t trust them,” he said, referring to the Chinese migrants, citing a recent skirmish near the bus stop involving some of them.

Pan, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for the volunteers. One of the groups, a San Diego-based legal services non-profit called Al Otro Lado, had tried to help him find information about his wife, and he vowed to pay the kindness forward.

For the most part, however, new Chinese arrivals rely on other Chinese: familiar faces speaking familiar tongues offering to assist them in navigating their new life, though often for a fee.

Ding, also waiting for his wife to get out of detention, came to the US on a tourist visa from Jiangsu province in November and now ferries new arrivals to their intended destinations.

With a few months in the US under his belt, Ding runs a WeChat group for Chinese based in Los Angeles, where members share tips on avoiding scammers and access ads for anything from cheap housing to informal labour.

For US$70-80, Ding and other migrant drivers offer newcomers a lift to the greater Los Angeles area, the second largest hub for Chinese immigrants in the US, after the New York metropolitan area, according to one estimate.

Ding’s wife had crossed the border only a day earlier. She couldn’t get a tourist visa, he said, so they had no other option except to have her come illegally.

“If there was a legal path, who would want to take the illegal route?” Feng, a border crosser turned driver, chimed in.

Many of the recent Chinese border crossers decided to come to the US during the Covid-19 pandemic, enticed by social media posts of more entrepreneurial migrants who had already made the journey. But the posts could not fully prepare them for the journey ahead.

Chinese migrants recount a months-long journey fraught with cartel violence, scammers and other dangers like falling overboard from boats or running out of stamina.

On boats, horses, planes and buses, often with little more than a backpack, they traverse jungles and other terrain across over a dozen countries spanning Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America. Some of them never make it. For most of them, it’s a journey they never want to repeat.

For the relatively privileged, overstaying a US visa is the safer route. But immigration specialists say US tourist visas for Chinese have become increasingly difficult to get, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the US State Department, combined tourist and business visa refusal rates for Chinese nationals went up to 79 per cent in 2021, before dropping to 27 per cent in 2023. In 2013, the refusal rate was only 8.5 per cent.

Chinese nationals, however, see a higher approval rate for asylum compared with migrants from Latin American countries. From October 2022 to September 2023, 55 per cent of Chinese applicants were successful, whereas Latin American asylum seekers saw approval rates of 28 per cent or lower, according to the US Department of Justice.

But asylum, while attractive in providing a path to permanent residence in the US, is far from easy to attain.

Every asylum seeker must demonstrate past or potential persecution on one of five protected grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

Migrants typically have a year to apply for asylum, with lawyers’ fees ranging from a few thousand dollars to over US$10,000. Most try to file as soon as possible so they can get a work card.

Many Chinese migrants enter the US unaware of the complexities of the asylum process, said Felipe Alexandre, an immigration lawyer with offices in the City of Industry, near Los Angeles, and in New York City’s Flushing neighbourhood.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘The situation in China is tough’ or ‘Xi Jinping is bad.’ You have to demonstrate that the persecution is individualised,” he said.

And if they fail to do so, Alexandre added, they could be caught in a lengthy cycle of appeals, and ultimately left without legal work authorisation or forced to return to China.

While the US has long accused China of being uncooperative in efforts to repatriate Chinese nationals without legal status, the two countries have increasingly engaged in dialogue on the issue. In late June, with cooperation from Beijing, the US Department of Homeland Security chartered a removal flight carrying 116 Chinese nationals.

US President Joe Biden, in the midst of an election season, began escalating efforts to crack down on illegal migration in 2023. In early June, he signed an executive order that would suspend the processing of most asylum claims once the weekly average of unauthorised crossings exceeds 2,500.

The migrants gathered around the San Ysidro bus stop seemed unfazed by the political developments and potential denial of their asylum claims. “If I don’t make it here, I’ll go to Mexico,” said Feng, who filed his application after arriving from Guangzhou in January.

“I’m taking it one day at a time,” Pan said. This, he said, was his approach from the start.

“I had no idea how exactly I was getting to the US until I landed in South America; all I was focused on was getting out of China.”

Chinese border crossers often don’t have a singular reason for leaving China. Even in a single person or family, various factors drive their decision, spanning from political oppression to economic challenges.

Ding said he and his wife came primarily to improve their economic circumstances, but plan to make an asylum case based on suffering under China’s now-defunct one-child policy. “That must count as persecution, no?” he asked.

Pan’s primary motivations are more political. The Hubei native made over 10,000 yuan (US$1,380) a month, helping put his family solidly in the middle class, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Echoing the experiences of several migrants interviewed, Pan said he had increasingly grown disillusioned with how local Chinese authorities handled commonplace problems like workplace injury compensation.

Still, he said he would have stayed in China if not for public security officials restricting his movement after he filed a complaint.

“I love China,” he said. “But China doesn’t love me.”

And though he left China mainly for political reasons, Pan said he planned to keep a low profile in case he wants to return after getting legal status in the US.

“My parents are getting old and if they need me, I will go back, no matter the risks,” he said.

Unlike other families with young children, Pan made the difficult decision to leave his two children, aged 12 and 8, behind because of the dangers associated with the journey. He hopes to eventually bring them to the US.

Every migrant’s story is different, but what unites them is a deep fatalism about life in China, a desire to change their own circumstances and a somewhat blind optimism that things will turn out all right.

Asked if they thought they were courageous to make the journey, many said no. “Brave? No. If I was brave, I wouldn’t hesitate to participate in political protests here,” said Pan.

“Coming here wasn’t about being brave; we were forced by circumstance,” said Feng, who explained how local officials violated a contract with his business by dismantling one of its buildings, then jailed him for filing a petition.

For generations, he said, his family endured such adversity because of Chinese officials’ abuse of power.

Feng, who is single, keeps contact with his family over WeChat but lives in constant fear that they will be targeted by local authorities due to his absence.

Asked how he felt about his first few months in the US, Feng shrugged. “It is what it is,” noting that without a work card, he can engage only in informal labour under Chinese employers who might take advantage of him.

Despite being a border crosser himself, Feng cautioned others against placing immediate trust in fellow Chinese migrants.

Pan, still unburdened by the realities of his new life, said his American dream is simple: “I want to be a good refugee.”

“All I want is to work Monday to Friday and spend time with my family on Saturdays and Sundays.”

And by coincidence, as he was describing his plans for life in the US, Pan received a call from his wife. She had just been released from detention.

Xi calls for Ukraine ceasefire as Hungary’s Orban makes surprise stop in China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269648/xi-calls-ukraine-ceasefire-hungarys-orban-makes-surprise-stop-china?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and direct dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv during talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday.

Hungary’s leader was making a surprise visit to Beijing as part of his “peace mission” for Ukraine. It came after Orban visited Kyiv and Moscow for the first time since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022.

Budapest has stepped up mediation efforts after taking over the rotating presidency of the European Council this month. But its proposal for a ceasefire and negotiations did not attract much interest from the two warring states last week.

The Central European nation maintains close ties with both Russia and China and supports Beijing’s peacemaking efforts on Ukraine, including a proposal with Brazil in May calling for conditions to be created for direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

In Beijing on Monday, Xi praised Orban’s efforts after the Hungarian leader briefed him about his visits to Kyiv and Moscow. He said China and Hungary would maintain communication on Ukraine as their peace efforts were largely “aligned”.

“China has been actively promoting peace talks in its own way and encourages and supports all efforts conducive to peaceful resolution of the crisis,” Xi said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“It is in the interests of all parties to have a ceasefire and end the war at an early date and seek a political solution,” Xi said.

“The international community should create conditions and provide assistance for the two sides to resume direct dialogue and negotiations. Only when all major powers exert positive energy instead of negative energy will this conflict see the dawn of a ceasefire.”

Orban told Xi he appreciated China’s efforts and that Beijing’s advocacy for peace had “great importance”, according to a video clip from the meeting posted on Orban’s official Instagram account.

In a separate post on Facebook, Orban said China was a “key player” to bring peace to Ukraine. “In addition to the warring parties, it depends on the decision of three world powers, the United States, the European Union and China, when the Russian-Ukrainian war will end,” he wrote.

Hungary has been at odds with the European Union’s support for Ukraine as it blocked and delayed aid to the war-torn country. Orban’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week was harshly criticised by the bloc and fellow member states, with European Council President Charles Michel saying Hungary had “no mandate” to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

Orban’s peace mission comes as the bloc has been increasingly divided on support for Ukraine. His hard-right party is also in the process of forming what could be the dominant right-wing alliance in the European Parliament, including France’s National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen, which opposes continued funding for Kyiv.

Orban’s next stop is Washington, where Western leaders will gather to discuss Ukraine at a Nato summit that begins on Tuesday.

Like Hungary, China’s position on Ukraine has also met with a wary eye from the EU, which has sanctioned some Chinese companies over their links to Russia. However, many EU officials are still looking to Beijing to play a peacemaker role given its influence in the Global South and Xi’s personal ties with Putin. The pair discussed Ukraine when they met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kazakhstan last week.

But neither China nor Russia were at last month’s Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland. Beijing refused to attend because Moscow was excluded from the talks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China of working with Russia to undermine the summit.

In Beijing on Monday, Xi also urged Hungary to help promote China-EU relations – which remain tense over their trade disputes – during its rotating presidency.

Orban agreed to maintain strategic coordination with China and said Hungary opposed “bloc confrontation”, according to the Xinhua report.

Xi also called for both nations to strengthen political trust and expand cooperation under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, saying China’s deepening economic reform would provide new opportunities for bilateral ties.

The two leaders last met in May when Xi visited Hungary during his first European tour – which also took in France and Serbia – since the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Xi was in Budapest, the two nations elevated ties to an “all-weather” comprehensive strategic partnership – a status reserved for nations Beijing trusts the most such as Belarus, Pakistan and Venezuela.

China’s graduates told to embrace financial reshuffle, ‘don’t feel ashamed’ about career

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269638/chinas-graduates-told-embrace-financial-reshuffle-dont-feel-ashamed-about-career?utm_source=rss_feed

A commencement speech at a top Chinese university in Shanghai went viral this weekend after a professor reassured students not to be ashamed of taking a job in the finance sector, sparking debate amid the industry’s heightened scrutiny and dwindling reputation.

Li Feng, deputy dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Advanced Institute of Finance, said on Saturday that despite the current emphasis on technological innovation, finance remains crucial to China’s economic strength, and that graduates should feel “deeply proud” to be working in finance.

“Some people have started to think that the finance industry is worthless because it does not seem to be hardcore technology, viewing it as an unnecessary transaction cost,” Li said.

“Even some finance professionals, including our students and alumni, have developed a sense of professional shame.”

Li argued that the mindset needed to be corrected, emphasising the indispensable role of financial services in developing the “new productive forces” – a term coined by President Xi Jinping last year to seek new drivers of economic growth via frontier technologies – and that finance is the lifeblood of the economy and a vital part of China’s core competitiveness.

“As finance professionals, or those engaged in corporate investment and financing, we should not feel ashamed, but rather deeply proud,” he added.

The comments came at a time when China’s financial industry, once thriving with well-paid bankers and brokers, is undergoing significant transformation, while the reputation of industry professionals has also taken a hit.

According to a report by Chinese media outlet Yicai, nearly 10 brokers in China were punished for alleged misbehaviour by regulators in April.

However, despite recent lay-offs and pay cuts, salaries in the finance industry remain among the highest in China, with the sector continuing to be one of the most coveted career paths for graduates.

Encouraged by Beijing since the 2010s to follow Western counterparts with generous salaries, institutions like China International Capital Corporation (CICC) saw average annual pay rises from 700,000 yuan in 2018 to 1.15 million yuan (US$158,000) in 2020, despite the national per capita income being only 35,128 yuan.

But in recent years, Beijing’s financial leaders have pushed for a remoulding of the industry, emphasising national strategies over excessive profits.

In January, President Xi stressed the need for financial workers to be honest, trustworthy and avoid quick success.

Xi’s comments were part of a broader common prosperity drive to reduce income gaps and tackle corruption, with regulators poised to cap state bank salaries at 3 million yuan, potentially retroactively.

Consequently, many finance professionals, including at Citic Securities and CICC, are experiencing significant pay cuts amid the broader industry shift.

In China’s predominantly state-owned financial industry, brokers and funds are cutting salaries and benefits instead of conducting large-scale lay-offs.

According to quarterly reports, CICC reduced staff-related costs by 43.4 per cent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period in 2023.

Other top securities firms, including Citic Securities, CSC Financial and Guotai Junan Securities, have also seen reductions in labour costs.

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US-China ties may have hit a wall since Xi-Biden summit, noted Chinese commentator warns

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269604/us-china-ties-may-have-hit-wall-xi-biden-summit-noted-chinese-commentator-warns?utm_source=rss_feed

Moves to stabilise China-US-ties may have reached their “limit” since a summit eight months ago, a leading Chinese political scholar has warned.

Da Wei, director of the Centre for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, said both countries needed to make their intentions and goals more clear and convincing to each other.

This was crucial to preventing “fundamental distrust”, Da told an international security forum in Beijing on Sunday.

He also warned of “negative development” in bilateral ties, particularly on Taiwan, and technological and economic issues, noting that recent remarks from senior officials on either side had been marked by impatience, frustration, anxiety and disappointment.

“This tendency is not good,” the US-China relations specialist told a panel at the World Peace Forum, which was jointly hosted by Tsinghua and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, a government-run policy group.

“Another crisis or some kind of confrontation” could not be ruled out if the present trajectory continued, he cautioned.

The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden in California last November was followed by several positive signs for the bilateral relationship after months of extreme tensions.

The two countries have resumed high-level dialogue, including military-to-military talks, launched several working groups, held negotiations on trade, finance, and climate and counternarcotics action, and also restarted cooperation on deporting illegal Chinese immigrants from the US.

But tensions continue to build on a number of fronts, most notably over US trade tariffs and moves to hobble China’s hi-tech access, its relationship with Russia and what the US and its allies see as Beijing’s growing regional assertiveness.

Uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the US presidential election in November has further added to worries about the future of the relationship.

In a phone call with US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell on June 27, Chinese executive vice-foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu urged Washington to respect Beijing’s concerns.

Washington should take concrete actions on its commitment to not support Taiwanese independence, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs relating to Tibet, halt support for Philippine “provocations” in the South China Sea and refrain from “smearing” what was “normal” Sino-Russian trade, Ma said.

Campbell said US commitment to the Philippines under their 1951 mutual defence treaty was “ironclad”, while reiterating concerns over China’s alleged support for Russia’s defence industrial base, an issue US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised again earlier this month when he said China was helping to sustain Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University and on the same panel as Da, said that the China-US relationship still “lacked reciprocity” and was “uneven”.

“China has tried to accommodate US concerns, on artificial intelligence dialogue, military-to-military relations, fentanyl, and so on. But on the US side, the Biden administration has been very reluctant to address China’s concerns,” he said.

“The Taiwan issue or sanctions or tariffs, [on] all these kinds of things, there has not been much progress.”

Others on the panel were Susan Thornton, former US acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Douglas Paal, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de facto representative office.

Da said that the process of stabilising bilateral relations was “slowing down”, adding: “We have probably picked the low-hanging fruits already.”

China and the US had taken a bottoms-up approach to creating trust over the past eight months, which had been “effective”, Da noted.

“But there is a limit,” he said. “I think we are reaching that limit. Because if you have fundamental distrust [of] the other side, I think these negative sentiments will prevent us from having very meaningful cooperation or even coexistence.”

Both sides were still very suspicious of the other’s sincerity on stabilising relations and continued to view each other through a “very negative” lens, he added.

“We need to understand the basic motives and the purpose of the other side,” he said. “Following that, we need to clean up our house to remove the policies that are inconsistent with [our main goals].”

Da also called on the US to take some actions to convince Beijing that its goal was not containment of China.

For instance, he said, the White House should publicly state that new Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s words and actions did not align with Washington’s “one-China” policy.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and committed to supplying it with weapons.

Da also called on the US and China to work together on Ukraine and the Middle East, as “we have some shared interest there, rather than veto each other at the United Nations. That’s meaningless”.

Referring to his conversations with Russian intellectuals about how the US and Russia had missed opportunities to build trust over the past two decades, Da said the same scenario should not play out for Beijing and Washington.

He also dismissed concerns that the wait for the US election results meant ties had entered what in American sporting parlance is called “garbage time” – when the proceedings become perfunctory.

“We need to be on the same page, understanding each other’s goal clearly and from the bottom of the heart, then we maybe can … have real stability in the next four years.”

China tells Japan to ‘reflect on its history of aggression’ after signing Philippine defence pact

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269644/china-tells-japan-reflect-its-history-aggression-after-signing-philippine-defence-pact?utm_source=rss_feed

China has called on Japan to think about its history after it signed a defence pact with the Philippines.

“Japan should seriously reflect on its history of aggression and be cautious in its words and deeds in the field of military security,” Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said.

Japan occupied the Philippines, which at the time was under the rule of the United States, during the Second World War, which resulted in more than a million deaths. It had already occupied much of China, committing several massacres, including in Nanjing in 1937.

Lin also said: “The Asia-Pacific region does not need military groups, let alone small circles that provoke camp confrontation and instigate a new cold war. Any actions that undermine regional peace and stability and undermine regional unity and cooperation will arouse the vigilance and common opposition of the people of the region.”

He was commenting on the Reciprocal Access Agreement, which allows troops from both countries to take part in joint exercises in the other country, and was signed by Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Manila on Monday.

It is the first deal of its kind signed by Japan with another country in Asia. It has signed similar pacts with Australia and Britain and is negotiating one with France.

Kamikawa described the signing of the deal as a “groundbreaking achievement”, saying: “A free and open international order based on the rule of law is the foundation of regional peace and prosperity. We would like to work closely with your country to maintain and strengthen this.”

Teodoro described the deal as “another milestone in our shared endeavor to ensure a rules-based international order to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific”.

The Philippines has been boosting its security relations with the United States, a treaty ally, in recent years and has been involved in a series of confrontations with Chinese coast guard ships in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with Beijing in the East China Sea, has been gradually building its relationship with the Philippines in the post-war era.

It has become a leading trade and investment partner for Manila, signing a free-trade agreement in the mid-2000s. It has also been building closer defence ties, selling patrol vessels to the navy and sending fighter jets and tanks to take part in joint exercises.

With pessimism in China and optimism in India, confidence seen key to economic puzzle

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269617/pessimism-china-and-optimism-india-confidence-seen-key-economic-puzzle?utm_source=rss_feed

A lack of confidence and low expectations for China’s economic growth remain major hindrances holding back consumers and investors, economists and veteran policy observers warned ahead of next week’s agenda-setting third plenum.

Pessimism from economists and observers inside China about outlook of the world’s second-largest economy could send a chilling message to overseas observers, according to Helen Qiao, chief Greater China economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

“In China, no matter how much we tell investors that China has no problems, that China will surely ramp up the implementation of future policies, the overall feedback we got from investors was pessimistic, and they treat good news as if it won’t happen, and bad news as if it will get worse,” Qiao told a Tsinghua University forum about China’s midyear economic update on Saturday.

Qiao, who is also the bank’s head of Asia economics research, added that the atmosphere among investors in India was completely different, with economic growth and momentum being hyped up.

Compared to the stumble of China’s A-shares after the benchmark Shanghai composite index fell by 0.25 per cent in the first half of the year, India’s major benchmark index – the BSE Sensex which tracks the performance of the 30 biggest and most traded stocks on the Bombay Stock Exchange – hit a record high after rising by 9.4 per cent during the same period.

The market capitalisation of the Indian stock market has surpassed Hong Kong to become the fourth largest in the world.

“Sometimes [the market atmosphere] is driven by emotions, especially now when investors are easily swayed by the market,” Qiao added.

“What we should be doing is setting rules, and ensuring policy stability, the rule of law, and promoting a more law-based governance approach in the medium to long term.”

The Tsinghua University forum was held at a key juncture for China, as it is grappling to get its economic expansion back on track in the second half of the year.

The third plenum of the new Central Committee, which is expected to chart China’s growth path for the next decade, is also set to take place next week.

Consumption is seen as being among the weakest links in China’s economic recovery as a result of a lack of confidence.

In the first five months of 2024, retail sales grew by 4.1 per cent compared to the last year, lower than the 4.3 per cent average annual growth in the first two years of the coronavirus in 2020 and 2021.

“The demand for consumption is extremely suppressed,” said Wu Shuyu, a researcher at the Academic Centre for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking, a think tank at Tsinghua University, told the forum.

The sluggish recovery in spending is seen to be primarily due to a slowdown in residents’ income growth.

Since 2021, for the most part, the growth rate of consumer spending has outpaced the growth rate of per capita disposable income, official data showed, while the income growth of the middle- and low-income groups has also slowed, while young people also face employment pressures and concerns about pay cuts.

In the first five months of the year, new household loans increased by 889.1 billion yuan (US$122.3 billion), but bank deposits by households rose by 7.13 trillion yuan during the same period, central bank data showed.

“That indicates a weak willingness to leverage and people are more inclined to increase precautionary savings rather than spend,” Wu said.

And according to a report by the Academic Centre for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking on China’s economic outlook for the second half of the year, from a policy aspect, local governments should be allowed to retain more fiscal revenues derived from value-added tax and consumption tax, which are now production-based taxes on the manufacturing locations, rather than consumption-based taxes on the consumptions locations.

“This will encourage local governments to focus on human-centred development, increase residents’ income, improve basic public services, eliminate concerns about consumption, and boost consumer spending,” said the report, which was also released on Saturday.

First-time China flier opens emergency exit thinking it is toilet door, sparks evacuation

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3269572/first-time-china-flier-opens-emergency-exit-thinking-it-toilet-door-sparks-evacuation?utm_source=rss_feed

A first-time air passenger in China who opened an emergency exit on an aircraft after mistaking it for a toilet door sparked a passenger evacuation and flight cancellation.

An Air China flight CA2754 from the eastern city of Quzhou had been scheduled to fly to Chengdu in the country’s southwest on July 4.

However, a rookie passenger opened an emergency exit door by mistake, causing an evacuation slide to deploy.

As a result, the plane had to be emptied of passengers and the flight was cancelled.

The affected passengers were relocated to a hotel and given compensation of 400 yuan (US$55) each.

The woman who opened the emergency door was also taken to the hotel for questioning by police.

Another passenger, surnamed Cheng, said that the woman opened the door quietly, without anyone noticing.

“When the evacuation slide popped out, even the flight attendants were startled. The female passenger was in tears when she heard that she would need to pay damages,” Cheng told the Chongqing Morning Post.

The incident received widespread attention on mainland social media.

On Weibo, one online observer wrote: “Being a first-time flier is no excuse. She could have simply asked the crew where the toilet was.”

“If the emergency door is so easily opened, isn’t it prone to accidental activation? This seems like a design flaw of the aircraft,” said another.

Aircraft exit doors are designed to be easily opened to ensure prompt access in emergencies.

Under normal circumstances, the flight crew would repeatedly remind passengers not to accidentally activate them.

Depending on the aircraft model, the cost of activating an emergency exit door ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan (US$28,000).

After an evacuation slide deploys aircraft can be grounded for several days for maintenance.

In China, the unauthorised opening of aircraft emergency exit doors is illegal and can lead to large fines and administrative detention.

In June 2017, a passenger at Beijing Airport was detained for 12 days after inadvertently opening the emergency exit and activating an evacuation slide.

In February 2015, another passenger at an airport in Jilin province, northeastern China, opened an emergency exit door near his seat during taxiing. He had to pay 35,000 yuan (US$4,800) in compensation.

Former Chinese envoy cautions youth against ‘blind worship’ of US or assuming Western decline

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269639/former-chinese-envoy-cautions-youth-against-blind-worship-us-or-assuming-western-decline?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s young people should avoid “wishful thinking” about the United States, according to Cui Tiankai, the country’s former ambassador to the US.

The veteran diplomat made the remarks at a commencement ceremony at ShanghaiTech University on Sunday, telling the graduates they should avoid oversimplifying the rise and fall of a great power or the geopolitical complexities between the two countries.

Cui, China’s longest serving ambassador to the US, warned against both an unrealistic adoration of the US or the view that America is declining and will never recover.

“Blindly worshipping the US is not a scientific or objective understanding. On the other hand, believing that the US will inevitably decline and fall into ruin is also a one-sided and absolutist view, inconsistent with reality and objectiveness,” said Cui, who served as Beijing’s envoy to Washington from 2013 to 2021.

Despite recent efforts to stabilise relations, ties between China and the US have been hit by tensions over the South China Sea and Taiwan and increasing US export restrictions on hi-tech goods such as advanced semiconductors.

He said “the US does have a lot of problems – very big problems” but pointed to its military and financial strengths, as well as its leadership in scientific and cultural areas.

Cui said the development and evolution of the US is the result of combinations of various forces and factors such as the economy, politics, culture, population and natural conditions that often work in a spiral process, not a straight line.

“Our understanding of it should be comprehensive, dimensional, evolving and dialectical, rather than oversimplified, absolute, or even wishful thinking,” he said.

Cui’s remarks echoed those of some observers who have called for an objective assessment of China’s geopolitical challenges and strengths. The formula that “the East is rising and the West is declining” has gained traction among government officials and state-controlled media.

However, Cui warned that “mistaking [the weaknesses of] others can often mislead oneself. This is something we need to be vigilant about”.

He called on the graduates to make “arduous efforts” to rejuvenate the nation and form proper and independent perspectives, instead of simply echoing other opinions and gossip.

“Modernisation does not equate to Westernisation or Americanisation. Their path cannot guide us to our goals,” Cui said.

“We believe that the current trend of the international landscape is on our side, and morality and justice are also on our side. But this does not mean that we can succeed easily. China’s development has always been about surpassing ourselves, not about crushing others. But we must constantly overcome the obstacles erected by others,” Cui said.

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau apologises to fans for dangerous stunt during China concert

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3269607/hong-kong-superstar-andy-lau-apologises-fans-dangerous-stunt-during-china-concert?utm_source=rss_feed

Superstar singer and actor Andy Lau Tak-wah has apologised to his army of fans after he performed a risky stunt during a concert in China.

At the event in Shanghai, 62-year-old Lau slid up to the edge of an elevated platform on his knees without any safety equipment or measures in place.

The platform was about three to four meters above ground, according to fans at the July 5 concert.

Dressed in a suit, Hong Kong icon Lau ran and knee-slid towards the edge of a raised platform to interact with a female dancer on the floor below.

The slippery surface meant he only managed to stop just before plunging off the platform.

The stunt was captured on a video which went viral on Douyin, China’s TikTok.

In the background, fans can be heard shouting anxiously as Lau narrowly avoided a fall by reaching out to grab onto the floor.

The video ignited heated discussions online.

“What kind of stage is this, and why is it so dangerous?” said one online observer.

“My idol, you are no longer young, please be careful!” said another.

“Why, at his age, does he need to perform such dangerous stunts?” said a third.

The Shanghai concert marked Lau’s return to touring after a decade-long hiatus.

Lau apologised to his fans a day after the event.

“I want to say sorry to everyone. I won’t do it again. I didn’t realise the stage was so slippery. It was an accident, I’m sorry, I will take good care of myself,” he said.

He then asked his fans to forgive him.

Adjustments were made to the stage, and the star’s performance, to ensure safety.

At the next performance, the height of the platform had been lowered, and instead of running and sliding on his knees, Lau knelt down a safe distance from the edge of the stage.

Fans expressed relief and ongoing concern for Lau’s safety.

“I hope my idol stays safe and healthy and keeps performing until he’s 80, I’ll be there,” said one fan.

The incident also evoked memories of previous on-stage accidents.

“This is exactly how Wong Ka-kui died. I almost cried,” said one online post which received more than 13,000 likes.

In June 1993, Wong, the lead singer of the Hong Kong rock band Beyond, died from severe head injuries after falling 2.7 metres off a stage during a live show in Japan.

More recently, in July 2022, two dancers for the Cantopop boy band Mirror were hit by a giant video panel that fell from the ceiling during a concert in Hong Kong. One of them was left paralysed from the neck down.

China sales of lifelike masks that can ‘turn you into a celebrity’ spark crime fears

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268884/china-sales-lifelike-masks-can-turn-you-celebrity-spark-crime-fears?utm_source=rss_feed

A burgeoning grey market in silicone masks that “can make you look like anyone, including celebrities” has emerged in China.

On the country’s largest e-commerce platform Taobao, the lifelike disguises are listed mundanely under the title “silicone mask” and appear to be simply the kind of fun prop used for costume parties.

However, a few more clicks and would-be buyers will find a promise that the masks are capable of transforming you into any celebrity for a price of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,400).

One shop also claimed its products could help people pass “low-sensitivity” facial-recognition checks.

Dozens of such masks have been sold, according to statistics on the Taobao app. Taobao belongs to Alibaba Group, which owns the South China Morning Post.

In the comments section of one custom-made mask, a buyer posted a photo of her wearing a Professor Severus Snape mask, the character played by the late British actor Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter film series.

The person was impressed with the quality of “every detail” of the mask adding that it looks “surprisingly” real.

Another asked if the shop could make a mask of mainland actress Fan Bingbing. The shop answered “yes”.

One shop worker told the mainland media outlet Legal Daily that they can make any face as long as the customer provides a 3D scan, or photos of a head taken from 360 degrees, or a photo of the person they want to be and data about their own heads and facial features.

It takes approximately a month to complete one mask.

A Beijing-based film makeup artist, who requested anonymity, told the Post that such masks are commonly used as film-making props. The more hyper-real masks require more time and cost more to make.

However, she added that it was “unlikely” they could circumvent facial recognition systems.

There have been cases in which much cheaper forms of such masks have been used to commit crimes.

In March, police in Shanghai seized a burglar in his 40s, who wore a silicone mask to make him look like an old man while breaking into a flat and stealing properties worth 100,000 yuan (US$14,000).

Although the robber successfully tricked surveillance cameras, evidence he left in the house and his mobile phone signal led police to him.

At present, silicone masks are not banned in China.

However, hyper-real silicone masks might present other legal risks, such as violating a person’s reputation and portrait rights, Shanghai Glinks Law Firm partner Sherry Zhang told the Post.

Also, silicone mask sellers face legal consequences if they exaggerate the products’ functions or sell products to those who use them for illegal purposes.

Zhang, who also specialises in legal matters related to artificial intelligence (AI), told the Post that similarities can be drawn between hyper-real silicone masks and AI clones.

In June, the Beijing Internet Court made its first judgment on an AI “face swap” app’s violation of personal rights.

The app used the visages of two influencers as “face templates” to make a profit, without acquiring their consent.

The court ordered those who run the app to apologise and compensate the two influencers for infringing on their portrait and personal information rights.

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Chinese military in Belarus for joint ‘anti-terrorist training’ on Polish border

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3269580/chinese-military-belarus-joint-anti-terrorist-training-polish-border?utm_source=rss_feed

China and Belarus have begun a joint military exercise in a border region close to Poland and Ukraine, a move likely to raise concerns in Europe.

The “anti-terrorist training” – known as Eagle Assault – is being held near the city of Brest in western Belarus according to an “annual plan and consensus”, China’s defence ministry said on Sunday.

It said the exercise would be held from early to mid-July, with a focus on hostage rescues and joint anti-terrorist operations.

The Belarusian defence ministry on Saturday said Chinese troops had arrived in Belarus for the drills, which would run from July 8 to 19.

It is the first time China has sent military personnel to Belarus for training. Their last known joint exercise was the 2018 Eagle Assault held in Shandong province, eastern China.

Both China and Belarus also took part in the Vostok multilateral joint military exercise hosted by Russia in August 2022.

China and Belarus pledged to hold more joint military drills last August, when China’s then defence chief Li Shangfu met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

The latest exercise comes after Belarus on Thursday became the 10th full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – a regional security bloc touted by China and Russia as an alternative to Western-led groups.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin vowed to “make efforts to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of their neighbouring countries.

Minsk has been a key ally of Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus and Russia held tactical nuclear drills last year and Belarus agreed to store Russian tactical nuclear warheads on its territory.

Last month, Belarus’ Chief of General Staff Pavel Muraveyka threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons “if the country’s sovereignty and independence are threatened”. He also accused Warsaw of inciting the situation on the border of their two countries, where there has been a surge of illegal crossings from Belarus into Poland.

This week’s military drills are under way in Brest, a city less than 5km (3.1 miles) from the border with Poland, a member of the European Union and Nato that has been a key supporter of Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Brest is about 50km (31 miles) from Ukraine.

While China has called for direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, Beijing has not condemned the Russian invasion and has deepened ties with Moscow since the war began.

Analysts say this week’s exercise is a sign of China’s closer military ties not just with Belarus but also Russia, and it will add to concerns among EU and Nato members – especially Poland.

Benjamin Barton, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus, said it was “somewhat surprising” for China to send troops for drills on Europe’s doorstep.

“China has always maintained a certain degree of caution when dealing with Russia and Putin’s enthusiasm for Russia and China to put up a common front against the US and its allies – something Beijing has been unwilling to do,” he said.

Martin Sebena, a lecturer at the University Hong Kong who specialises in China-Europe relations, said given their timing and location, the drills were likely to create “perceptions of Chinese support for Russia and Russia’s allies” in Europe.

“The exercise will overlap with the Nato summit [to be held in Washington from Tuesday to Thursday] and takes place on the … border where Belarus for many months has ‘weaponised’ migrant flows to pressure Poland – and by extension, the EU and Nato,” Sebena said.

“It adds two extra layers to the Polish perception. First, the Poles have been reducing train transport from China via the Malaszewicze hub [near Brest] in fears of it being used for tariff circumvention, while China has worked hard to increase train-based overland trade from western China to Europe – with this hub being basically the only place where those trains enter through the EU,” he said.

“Second, the Polish president has recently been warmly welcomed in China, and since the Poles will see this exercise as directed at them, hence questions are arising in Poland about how genuine the Chinese side was.”

Senior Colonel Zhou Bo, a retired PLA officer and senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy in Beijing, said the exercise with Belarus had “nothing to do with the situation in Ukraine” and was just the latest Chinese joint military drill.

“China is not going to get involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in any way,” he said. “We won’t even provide military equipment … so how could we possibly have our troops directly involved? That’s impossible.”

Former PLA instructor Song Zhongping said China and Belarus had a long tradition of military cooperation and had sought to step up joint efforts to combat terrorism in recent years.

Additional reporting by Sylvie Zhuang

China scientists’ low-cost solid-state battery could be EV industry breakthrough

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269565/china-scientists-low-cost-solid-state-battery-could-be-ev-industry-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese scientists say they have developed a solid-state lithium battery that can match the performance of other candidates for the next-generation technology at less than 10 per cent of the cost.

The breakthrough puts China a step closer to its ambition to be first to deliver what many regard as the future of rechargeable battery technology, with its potential to revolutionise the electric vehicle industry.

While there have been significant advances in traditional battery packs, their bulk, weight – and potential fire risk – are out of step with the requirements of lightweight, reliable EVs.

Replacing the liquid electrolytes of conventional lithium batteries with a solid-state alternative could promise faster charging times, better performance and improved safety standards.

But large-scale use of solid-state alternatives to conventional lithium batteries has been hampered by high material and manufacturing costs, sparking a global race for a commercially viable solution.

The researchers, from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in the eastern province of Anhui, have developed a type of solid electrolyte that could hold great promise for commercial applications.

According to a paper published on June 30 by the German Chemical Society’s Angewandte Chemie, one of the world’s leading chemistry journals, the team took a new approach to a problem that has plagued researchers for more than a decade.

Major industry players, including Japan’s Toyota and South Korea’s Samsung, have invested substantially in research and development for a suitable solid-state electrolyte, with three main contenders – oxide, sulphide and chloride types.

Sulphide is generally considered the most promising candidate for the eventual practical application of all-solid-state batteries because of its excellent performance, but its high cost remains prohibitive.

In an interview with state-run newspaper Science and Technology Daily last week, USTC researcher Ma Cheng explained the root of the problem in terms of simple economics.

A commercially viable solid-state battery electrolyte must cost less than US$50 per kilogram to produce, but sulphide electrolytes are generally priced at more than US$195 per kilogram.

“Although researchers around the world are striving to reduce the cost through various methods, long-term exploration has shown that it is quite difficult to achieve this goal,” Ma said.

To overcome this challenge, Ma and his team set out to develop a new sulphide solid electrolyte, which they have called LPSO, that does not require lithium sulphide as a raw material.

LPSO is synthesised from two low-cost compounds, at an ingredient cost of just US$14.42 per kilogram – less than 8 per cent of the raw material costs of other sulphide solid electrolytes.

According to the researchers, the price reduction comes with no loss of the unique advantages offered by the best performing current forms of sulphide solid electrolytes, including decent anode compatibility, which determines performance stability.

LPSO matches well with high energy density anodes such as lithium metal and silicon, with a battery made from a combination of the new material and lithium metal maintaining more than 4,200 hours of stable cycling at room temperature, the paper said.

But Ma cautioned that the new material’s performance is not yet ideal, telling Science and Technology Daily that LPSO “is still expected to achieve further improvements in performance, and we are working towards that”.

Companies from Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States – which have lagged behind China in traditional lithium batteries – are pinning their hopes on next-generation battery technology, including solid-state batteries, to take the lead.

Both Toyota and Samsung are reported to be targeting 2027 for the commercial release of their all-solid-state batteries.

As major nations accelerate their efforts to achieve a commercially viable version of the technology, China’s battery and car makers have joined forces as part of a government-led drive to build a solid-state battery supply chain by 2030.

In January, Beijing launched the China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform, a consortium that brings together government, academia and industry, including EV battery giants CATL and BYD.

In May, Chen Liquan – “father of the Chinese lithium battery” – said the strategy aims to keep China in the race to develop what he described as “the future of rechargeable battery technology”.

“Only by seizing the first opportunity can China remain in a proactive position” in the development of solid-state lithium batteries, said Chen, 84, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics, in an interview with China Science Daily.

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Deadly tornado kills 5, injures 88 in China’s eastern Shandong province

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3269561/deadly-tornado-kills-5-injures-88-chinas-eastern-shandong-province?utm_source=rss_feed

A powerful tornado hit the city of Heze in China’s eastern province of Shandong on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring 88.

Dramatic videos circulating on social media showed homes and cars destroyed by the twister, which followed another tornado that struck the province just one day earlier.

Back in April, a tornado struck the southern city of Guangzhou, killing at least five and injuring 33, according to Chinese state media.

China’s central bank ups control of interest rates with new operations amid reform push

https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3269573/chinas-central-bank-ups-control-interest-rates-new-operations-amid-reform-push?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s central bank will step in to take control of interest rates with additional open market operations from Monday, while also tightening the band within which short-term interest rates can fluctuate.

The People’s Bank of China will conduct temporary bond repurchases or reverse repurchases to make open market operations more efficient and keep banking system liquidity ample.

The additional operations would be conducted “depending on the market situation” between 4pm and 4.20pm each working day, the People’s Bank of China said on Monday.

The term of the temporary repos and reverse repos would be overnight, and rates would be set at 20 basis points below and 50 basis points above the seven-day reverse repo rate, according to the central bank.

The yield of China’s 30-year government bond rebounded quickly following PBOC’s statement on Monday morning, surging to as high as 2.526 per cent after opening at 2.493 per cent, before stabilising to 2.51 per cent in the early afternoon.

Analysts believe the move paves the way for a new and narrower interest rate corridor, with the seven-day reverse repo rate serving as a main policy rate, giving the central bank more leeway to manage cash conditions and interest rates amid increased demand for bonds, which have sent yields to record lows.

In particular, tightening the band within which short-term rates can fluctuate would help manage liquidity in an event of a bond sale, Huachuang Securities said on Monday.

A narrow interest rate corridor would help to ensure more stable and predictable short-term rates to enhance monetary transmission.

“After all, if the central bank sells bonds, it may lead to liquidity tension, so the interest rate corridor ceiling actually provides a supplement to the central bank’s operations,” Huachuang Securities said.

The latest announcement came shortly after the PBOC said it had hundreds of billions of yuan worth of bonds at its disposal to borrow, and would sell them depending on market conditions, according to a report by the state-backed Shanghai Securities Journal on Friday.

It was the strongest signal from the central bank that it may be contemplating selling securities to cool a market rally, driven by strong demand for safe haven assets by Chinese investors – seen by PBOC as a financial stability risk.

Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics, said that the trend of plunging long-term bond yields is unlikely to turnaround even if the PBOC began to buy and sell bonds in the secondary market.

“In contrast to the PBOC’s view, we think the forces pushing down long-term yields are mostly structural and doubt they will reverse any time soon,” Evans-Pritchard said on Friday.

“China appears to be heading for a sustained period of near-zero inflation and weakening trend growth which, coupled with a high debt burden, points to further declines in nominal rates over the medium-term.

“If we are right, then the best the PBOC can probably hope to achieve is to stabilise yields around current levels for a few quarters, but not indefinitely.”

PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng said last month at a forum in Shanghai that the central bank would reform interest rate policies to improve transmission, including an “appropriately” narrowed interest rate corridor.

Pan also warned of the risks of nonbank financial entities holding a large amount of medium- to long-term central government bonds, which he said could create a maturity mismatch and interest rate risk.

Pan cited the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the United States after a rapid rise in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve starting in 2022, and vowed to maintain an upwards sloping yield curve.

Drought, floods, typhoons imperil crops and power as extreme weather spoils China’s summer

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3269556/drought-floods-typhoons-imperil-crops-and-power-extreme-weather-spoils-chinas-summer?utm_source=rss_feed

Another exceptionally hot summer, accompanied by drought, flooding and typhoons, is risking Chinese crop harvests and lifting power demand as climate change creates more extreme weather.

In the latest developments, more than 5,000 people were evacuated and rice fields were saturated following a dyke breach in Hunan province late on Friday. Authorities have issued flooding alerts in Shandong and Sichuan for this week, and warned that several major waterways – including the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers – are at risk of overflowing.

Temperatures were above-normal in June and will exceed average levels by even more this month, the National Climate Centre said in a briefing late last week. Different parts of the country are being simultaneously hit by floods, droughts and tropical storms, threatening to spur food inflation if output of wheat, soybeans, rice and corn is affected.

China will see more extreme weather events in the coming years due to the impact of climate change, Yuan Jiashuang, deputy director at the climate centre, said at the briefing. The China Meteorological Administration has begun a new round of zoning of agricultural resources, the first time they’ve done this in 40 years, to help the sector adapt, she said.

Eastern, western and central China will see temperatures that are 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above average over July, according to the climate centre, compared with 0.7 degree higher-than-normal across the country last month.

The increased risk of heatwaves may reduce output of crops such as cotton and rice, Jia Xiaolong, another deputy director at the climate centre, said at the briefing. Eastern China, meanwhile, is set to experience severe rainfall and flooding this month, raising the risk of secondary disasters like landslides, he said.

The high temperatures are set to boost electricity consumption as people use air conditioners more. The National Energy Administration warned on Thursday about the risks to power infrastructure and production from extreme weather and asked grid operators to ensure safe and reliable supply. However, the high rainfall will push up hydropower generation this year and raise profits of producers including China Yangtze Power, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

China is already grappling with record precipitation, while the southeast is being hit by more typhoons than usual, according to the centre, which is forecasting one or two tropical cyclones to hit the region this month. Major rice-growing areas in the south have been soaked by flooding, while droughts further north have damaged wheat and delayed corn and soybean planting.

Iron Man antics: China blast victim tries to remove metal shards from leg like superhero

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3268860/iron-man-antics-china-blast-victim-tries-remove-metal-shards-leg-superhero?utm_source=rss_feed

A man in China who tried to emulate the Iron Man superhero character by removing metal shards embedded in his thigh using a magnet has entertained many people on social media.

The actions of the superhero impersonator, surnamed Jiang, came to light on June 23 in the aftermath of an industrial explosion in Wuhan, Hubei province, in central China.

The blast sent shards of metal flying, some of which became embedded in Jiang’s thigh, causing sharp pain and leaving clearly visible holes in his flesh.

To the surprise of onlookers, Jiang did not go directly to hospital.

Inspired by a scene in the first Iron Man film, in which the lead character Tony Stark uses an “electromagnet” to extract shrapnel, Jiang tried a similar method with a strong magnet.

However, even in the world of fiction, the character ultimately undergoes surgery.

Predictably, Jiang’s attempt to mimic the superhero failed.

His solution only resulted in more pain, eventually forcing him to seek emergency treatment at Wuhan Puren Hospital.

A microsurgery team successfully removed four metal fragments and repaired the damaged muscles, ligaments and nerves.

Peng Hanshu, the director of the hospital’s hand and foot microsurgery department, warned people against copying Jiang.

He said using a magnet to remove metal is unlikely to be successful and could cause additional injuries.

“In such accidents, do not blindly try to handle it yourself. It is recommended to immediately seek medical attention at a proper healthcare facility,” Peng told Jimu News.

Jiang’s attempts at being a superhero caused much amusement on mainland social media.

“If this method worked, hospitals would be out of business,” one online observer said.

“The human body is not like cardboard or wood. The flesh closes and heals itself. It’s not going to stay open for you to use a magnet. Watching too many TV shows can confuse reality,” said another.

“Is the entry and exit path the same? If not, using this method, you are basically running the metal through your leg in different directions,” someone else said.

“Such a ‘medical genius’. But a wise man can be ruined by his own wisdom,” said a fourth person, using a traditional Chinese saying.

Hungary’s Orbán makes surprise visit to China after trips to Russia and Ukraine

https://apnews.com/article/orban-xi-china-hungary-ukraine-russia-b021484c18a2f2a4f92cb931869f2bfaFILE - Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Feb. 13, 2014. Orban is making a surprise visit to China on Monday, July 8, 2024, after similar trips to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. (Rolex dela Pena/Pool Photo, File)

2024-07-08T03:24:46Z

BEIJING (AP) — Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is making a surprise visit to China on Monday after similar trips to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

“Peace mission 3.0” is how Orbán captioned a picture posted early Monday on the X social media platform depicting him after having stepped off his plane in Beijing. He was being greeted by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying and other officials.

Orbán later met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

His previously unannounced visit comes on the heels of similar trips last week to Moscow and Kyiv, where he proposed that Ukraine consider agreeing to an immediate cease-fire with Russia.

His visit to Moscow drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.

“The number of countries that can talk to both warring sides is diminishing,” Orbán said. “Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that can speak to everyone.”

Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the EU at the start of July and Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Orbán had come to Moscow as a top representative of the European Council. Several top European officials dismissed that suggestion and said Orbán had no mandate for anything beyond a discussion about bilateral relations.

The Hungarian prime minister, widely seen as having the warmest relations with Putin among EU leaders, has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to assist Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. He has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country’s territorial integrity or future security.

That posture has frustrated Hungary’s EU and NATO allies, who have denounced Russia’s actions as a breach of international law and a threat to the security of countries in Eastern Europe.

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Meet Shen Haoze: China fitness KOL with 8 million fans makes Olympic public marathon event

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3269264/meet-shen-haoze-china-fitness-kol-8-million-fans-makes-olympic-public-marathon-event?utm_source=rss_feed

An online influencer in China who is famous for sharing his inspirational fitness journey with millions will take part in a mass public participation marathon event during this year’s Paris Olympics.

Shen Haoze, 34, who lives in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China, rose to fame in 2017 after he shed 20 kilograms in a year through marathon training, attracting 8 million followers on social media.

Over the past 7 years, the employee of a state-owned enterprise, has dedicated himself to promoting the sport and has taken part in about 100 events.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will feature its first publicly available mass-participation marathon, a historic event that has drawn about 800,000 registrations worldwide.

Shen is among the lucky five per cent selected to compete.

He took up running to lose weight in 2015, a decision that changed his life .

His journey began when his wife, pointing at the slim figures of actors in a Korean drama, remarked: “Look how fit they are. You’ve got a bit chubby, haven’t you?”

Family members also commented that he “got fat even before middle age”.

He initially tried eating only cucumbers for dinner for a month, which proved ineffective.

Frustrated with dieting, Shen began running around West Lake – a well-known beauty spot in Hangzhou – which is 10.8 kilometres per circuit.

Initially, he could only manage three or four kilometres. On one occasion, after he pushed himself to cover 7km, he ended up vomiting and clinging to a tree with exhaustion.

However, watching other runners effortlessly passing by, he imagined himself achieving a similar state of ease and vitality if he persisted.

Over the following year, Shen ran more than 160 laps around West Lake, lost 20 kilos and gradually learned to love running.

“Running has not only improved my physical appearance but more importantly, it has given me confidence, health, vigour and focus,” Shen said.

From March 2016, he began officially taking part in marathon races.

Shen’s journey has not been without setbacks.

His first half-marathon was particularly challenging because he did not have the right running shoes and he suffered from blisters.

“I could not walk properly for a week,” Shen told the mainland publication Dushikuaibao.

After diligent training, he became one of the first two Chinese nationals to serve as pacers at the 2017 Sydney Marathon.

A pacer is an experienced runner who leads a group to finish within a target time, setting the pace for the group.

“I was very nervous at first,” he said.

“But at the finish line, the locals handed me the Chinese flag, allowing me to proudly cross the line with it. It felt like I was bringing honour to my country,” Shen told Yeren Sports.

Currently, he runs about 300km every month, according to an interview with Pear Video.

Even after marrying in 2016 then having two children, Shen has maintained his disciplined routine.

He starts his days with a run, buys breakfast on the way back, wakes his family, drops his son at school, then heads to work. He uses his lunch breaks for fitness routines and dedicates 1-2 hours to running after work.

In 2020, he ran his first full marathon in under three hours, a big achievement that is a milestone in the sport.

Shen hopes to motivate his 8 million followers on social media to understand and embrace the sport.

He has also established a running group to encourage regular training among enthusiasts.

“Hearing about a professional athlete’s victory feels distant. But the idea that a marathon can be a sport for everyone is powerful because it involves ordinary people around you,” Shen said.

China’s localities need debt relief, academic says, backing treasury bonds to ease burdens

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3269336/chinas-localities-need-debt-relief-academic-says-backing-treasury-bonds-ease-burdens?utm_source=rss_feed

A former adviser to the People’s Bank of China has said the country’s central government should issue more treasury bonds to replace local debt, a call paired with entreaties for deeper reforms to address weak demand ahead of a crucial economic meeting this month.

According to Li Daokui, director of the Academic Centre for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking at Tsinghua University, high local debt loads have already dampened economic growth.

Li, who was an adviser to China’s central bank between 2010 and 2012, has also advocated that the central government should shoulder some of the burden weighing down localities, arguing regional authorities have played a critical role in driving the country’s industrial growth.

“25 per cent of the purchasing power in China’s gross domestic product is reflected by local government spending,” Li said at a forum arranged by the state-backed Beijing News on Wednesday.

“The central government should issue treasury bonds on a large scale to replace local government debts,” Li said. “And the short-term debts issued by local governments to fund infrastructure should be extended to 20, 30, 40 and 50 years.”

Li’s views have been echoed by other policy advisers, who have urged long-term fiscal policy reforms and changes in the role of government to make public debt in China more sustainable.

Local government finances have deteriorated significantly, as land sales – a major revenue source – have declined and years of pandemic prevention measures generated hefty expenses. Their debt piles have grown further thanks to local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), hybrid entities created to skirt restrictions on local government borrowing.

Debt sold by LGFVs was estimated to have reached anywhere from 30 trillion to 60 trillion yuan by the end of 2023 – nearly half of China’s GDP. LGFV debt totalled just 1.45 trillion yuan (US$4.1 trillion to US$8.3 trillion) in 2009, according to research published last month by Guotai Junan Asset Management.

Li also expressed concern over declining prices as well as a shortfall in consumption. If there are no reforms to address these problems, he said, China’s growth would decline in the coming years.

But such a change would require officials to alter their perception of what constitutes economic growth and how their performance will be evaluated, Li conceded.

“When governments and leaders meet, everyone is an expert, in technology, major projects and enterprises. They all talk about what kind of technology and projects to focus on, how much these can boost local GDP and how much tax revenue they can collect,” he said. “But few can tell you how much of an increase in disposable income and spending they can expect for ordinary people.”

China’s lacklustre growth, a crisis in the property market, the spectre of deflation and ageing population have prompted some concerns that the world’s second-largest economy could be on the same path to stagnation Japan walked decades ago.

“For a long period of time, Japan failed to stimulate demand,” Li said, adding the earnings and investment of many Japanese companies suffered as a result.

“I am most looking forward to the coming third plenum, where we will deepen reforms to release consumer demand and guarantee future growth.”

The Central Committee of China’s Communist Party will gather to discuss long-term economic policy in a major conclave known as the third plenum. It is scheduled to begin July 15 and run for three days.

Russia-North Korea pact is the price of China’s ‘strategic patience’

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3269219/russia-north-korea-pact-price-chinas-strategic-patience?utm_source=rss_feed

Could China have foreseen that North Korea’s advanced nuclear weapons and proliferation efforts would intensify to become a critical factor in global insecurity, affecting not only the Korean peninsula and East Asia but also the Indo-Pacific and further?

Could China have foreseen that North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and weapons production would become a pivotal external factor in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, severely undermining China’s global security strategy?

Could China have predicted the fundamental changes to East Asia’s security structure after North Korea agreed to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia?

Unlikely. Focused on North Korea’s strategic value as a buffer state, China has consistently shown a lack of ability and willingness to deter or dismantle Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. This stance, a Chinese adaptation of “strategic patience”, has had a severely adverse impact on China’s interests.

The six-party talks of the 2000s, which tried to negotiate the end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, ultimately collapsed due to conflicting interests, Pyongyang’s deception and strategic mistrust among the other five: South Korea, the US, Japan, China and Russia.

The strategic patience of the major global powers allowed North Korea to become a de facto nuclear-weapons state in the 2010s. Throughout, China merely observed.

It neither leveraged North Korea in its so-called hegemonic competition with the United States nor infringed upon its sovereignty. Despite the other four parties’ desire to deter or dismantle North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, they were as ineffective as China.

But Russia’s new strategic perspective on North Korea’s nuclear capabilities has opened a Pandora’s box. The shift became evident when reports emerged of North Korea making large-scale exports of conventional arms to Russia for use on the Ukrainian front. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied this.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that North Korea “has its own nuclear umbrella”. Russia has already reportedly provided North Korea with help related to missile delivery systems, and could potentially provide Pyongyang with nuclear-powered submarines, hypersonic missiles and fifth-generation fighter jets as well as assistance with its nuclear programme.

With this shift, Russia is no longer aligned with China, particularly in this critical area of security strategy. Reports suggest Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Putin not to visit North Korea right after his China visit in May, because China wanted to avoid being seen as aligned with North Korea or part of a bloc with the two states. Putin went to Pyongyang a month later; evidently, China could not further influence Russia.

Economically and in terms of security interests, China is far more important to North Korea, but to Pyongyang, Russia has become crucial to its nuclear ambitions.

Of the remaining four parties of the six-party talks, South Korea and Japan differ in their positions from the US and China, highlighting the divide between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states.

In South Korea, public opinion is near boiling point as people demand domestic nuclear armament, driven by the growing North Korean nuclear threat.

This escalation is partly due to Russia’s defence treaty with North Korea, which essentially provides a nuclear shield and implies a substantial nuclear umbrella, posing a threat to not just South Korea but also Japan. It creates conditions North Korea sees as favourable to advancing its intercontinental ballistic missile systems, and possibly even attempting a seventh nuclear test.

For all we know, Pyongyang and Moscow may attempt to sway the US presidential election in November while leveraging their nuclear capabilities against the US, South Korea, Japan and China. In any case, Northeast Asia’s nuclear equilibrium has been utterly disrupted. South Korea is under intense pressure to take assertive action, as is Japan.

The situation cannot be managed by the occasional deployment of US strategic assets and the questionable deterrence provided by the newly set up nuclear consultative group. The prospect of a domino effect of nuclear proliferation represents one of the gravest global security threats, with China at the epicentre.

The security convergence between the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions is becoming a reality. South Korea, which has said it could consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, already plays a key role in bolstering Nato’s military capabilities against Russia through significant sales of advanced conventional weapons. Japan is likely to intensify its anti-Russia policies.

The possibility of a Nato-like security arrangement in East Asia or the Indo-Pacific, which China vehemently opposes, is now viewed as increasingly plausible and justifiable. China is caught in this security dilemma with no clear way out.

It seems naive that China could have failed to anticipate how North Korea’s nuclear capabilities would become a key variable in the instability of not just Northeast Asia but the Indo-Pacific region, and even globally. This oversight, which is inflicting substantial damage on China’s global security strategy, marks yet another failure of strategic prediction.

The damage extends beyond the impact of North Korea’s nuclear tests on China’s northeastern provinces. China, which previously considered North Korea a junior security partner or even a vassal state, now finds itself unable to militarily attack it, even in the worst-case scenario. At the same time, the notion of a nuclear war breaking out in East Asia has suddenly become less inconceivable.

A pseudo-alliance between North Korea and Russia has emerged, further complicating the regional security landscape. Instead of achieving the grand unification of mainland China and Taiwan, Beijing’s security strategy is increasingly in jeopardy. Far from expanding, China is scrambling to defend itself.

Now, what will China do?

Ukraine war briefing: Chinese troops hold military exercises with Belarus on Polish border

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/08/ukraine-war-briefing-chinese-troops-hold-military-exercises-with-belarus-on-polish-border

• Chinese military personnel are to begin joint “anti-terrorist training” with their counterparts in Belarus on Monday, close to the border with Poland. The “Eagle Assault” exercises by the two Russian allies amid the war in Ukraine will be held over 11 days in the border city of Brest, Belarus, and will involve tasks such as hostage rescue and anti-terrorism operations, China’s Ministry of National Defence said. It comes days after Belarus officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization led by China and Russia, deepening their coordination on military, economic and political matters. The Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko has been a key ally of Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine, holding tactical nuclear drills with Russia last year and agreeing to store tactical nuclear warheads for Moscow on its soil.

• The Netherlands will begin sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “without delay”, after export licences were granted, foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said during a visit to Kyiv at the weekend. “Now that we’ve got clearance on the first F-16s, they will be delivered without delay,” Veldkamp said Saturday in a press conference in the Ukrainian capital. Details of the trip were kept secret until Sunday for security reasons. Veldkamp is part of a new ruling coalition in which Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) is the largest party. Ukraine hopes the advanced US-made jets will help it gain air superiority over Russia and better protect its troops and cities from daily bombardments by Moscow’s troops. Kyiv has been calling for F-16s since shortly after Russia invaded in February 2022.

• The UK’s new defence minister pledged on Sunday to deliver more artillery guns, ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, stressing ongoing support for Kyiv during a visit to the southern city of Odesa. John Healey, appointed defence minister on Friday, was visiting the port city, a frequent target of Russian missile and drone strikes, on his first international trip. “There may have been a change in government, but the UK is united for Ukraine,” Healey said, according to a statement published by Britain’s defence ministry. Healey pledged a new package of assistance including artillery guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, de-mining vehicles, small military boats, missiles and other equipment, the defence ministry said.

• US House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday during the Nato summit in Washington, according to Johnson’s schedule. Support for Ukraine is expected to be a focus at the summit in Washington this week, amid concerns about the future of US support for Kyiv should Donald Trump win the presidential election in November. Johnson in April spearheaded a $95bn bipartisan aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that was opposed by allies of Trump in Congress.

• Campaigners are urging Britain’s new Labour government to prevent Ukraine being sued in the UK courts if it defaults on its debts to private creditors. A two-year suspension of Ukraine’s debt payments was scheduled to expire on 1 August, Debt Justice said, and action was needed to protect Kyiv from the possibility of legal action. Ukraine is in negotiations with bondholders and is seeking a debt write down of 60% on the $24bn (£18.7bn) it owes to private creditors. Bondholders – which include big investment groups such as BlackRock, Pimco, Fidelity and AllianceBernstein – have said they are willing to take a 20% loss.

Caring China celebrity couple praised for ending lab ordeal of severely injured beagle

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268814/caring-china-celebrity-couple-praised-ending-lab-ordeal-severely-injured-beagle?utm_source=rss_feed

A celebrity couple in China who adopted an injured laboratory dog have drawn attention to the plight of animals used for research.

On June 23, Chinese actress Huo Siyan posted a video on Xiaohongshu, recounting how she and her actor husband Du Jiang discovered a wounded beagle by the roadside.

In the video, the couple are seen rescuing the shivering dog from bushes and then taking it to a vet, where medical checks revealed it had just given birth and was malnourished.

Vets found a number on its ears, which showed the animal had been used in laboratory experiments. An ultrasound test revealed its spleen was missing.

Online sources indicate that beagles are internationally recognised as a breed used in biomedical research.

Since the US began using beagles for research in 1950, other countries have followed suit, with China officially using them since 1964, according to Beagle Commune, a well-known mainland rescue organisation.

Experiments on beagles range from topical and internal drugs testing to assessing blade sharpness, and in vivo extraction.

Moved by the plight of the dog, the couple decided to adopt it and named it Pearl, because to them it is as precious as a gem.

Du comforted the animal, covering the marking on its ears with his hand, saying: “Pearl, my good girl, let’s forget your past and live well together from now on.”

At the end of the video Huo wrote: “Posting this video wasn’t meant to blame anyone. Animal testing is still a necessary part of human scientific development. We thank laboratory beagles for their contributions and hope more attention is given to the retired ones.”

Research shows that the traits of beagles make them ideal for animal testing.

They endure pain well, recover quickly, are easier to train and their intestinal structure closely resembles that of humans.

On June 27, Du posted another video documenting Pearl’s new life.

It showed her struggling with stairs due to growing up in a cage, and Du noted that Pearl prefers quiet corners for sleeping and shows little interest in the outdoors.

When playing basketball with the dog, their son said: “I heard you haven’t seen sunny lawns. I will show you more in the future.”

The celebrity couple has 18 million followers on Weibo, which has helped raise awareness of retired laboratory beagles.

After the posts about Pearl, topics related to laboratory dogs topped the trending list for several days on mainland social media.

The Beagle Commune’s founder, Spencer, posted on Weibo that the celebrity couple’s influence has led to over 3,000 applications to adopt.

“Retired beagles often carry skin diseases, gastrointestinal problems, and are sensitive, vocal, and socially awkward, often with anxiety,” he said.

“All adopters must consider these issues seriously. Please do not adopt impulsively without full awareness and preparation. This would be unfair and irresponsible to beagles.”

The plight of beagles has sparked a heated discussion on mainland social media.

“If it weren’t for the celebrity couple adopting Pearl, I might never have known about laboratory beagles,” one online observer wrote on Weibo.

“I hope Pearl can live happily in her new home. Thanks to every laboratory animal for their sacrifices for humanity,” another said.

Chinese study finds link between genes, diet and skin conditions

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269494/chinese-study-finds-link-between-genes-diet-and-skin-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese scientists say they have found evidence that consuming certain food and drinks – as influenced by our genes – can play a part in the development of skin conditions.

Their findings include a link between the genetically predicted intake of meat and coffee and an increased risk of developing skin cancer and ageing-related symptoms.

The researchers – from Lanzhou University in Gansu province – performed a Mendelian randomisation, or MR, study to examine the relationship between diet and skin conditions. MR analysis uses genetic variants to study potential causal relationships between an exposure and an outcome.

“Our study results indicate causal relationships between genetically predicted intake of oily fish, tea, salad/raw vegetables, coffee, pork, beef, champagne plus white wine and bread, and skin conditions,” the authors wrote in the peer-reviewed journal Archives of Dermatological Research last month.

The team found that genetically influenced intake of coffee and pork is associated with an increased risk of skin ageing. Genetically influenced consumption of beef, bread, champagne and white wine was associated with a higher risk of skin cancer.

They also found genetically influenced intake of oily fish to be associated with a lower risk of skin ageing, while genetically influenced consumption of tea was associated with a lower risk of skin pigmentation.

“To date, this study is the inaugural investigation to explore the causal relationships between multiple dietary factors and four major skin conditions using genetic tools and MR analysis,” the researchers wrote.

The skin is the primary barrier to protect against external threats but various skin conditions can develop as we age.

“As an easily accessible and modifiable factor, the impact of diet on skin-related issues has become a focus for many researchers,” the team wrote.

Observational studies have shown associations between certain dietary factors and developing various skin conditions, but the researchers said that confounding variables can limit these studies.

MR makes use of single nucleotide polymorphisms – genomic variants in a single base within DNA – as a variable to “infer causal relationships between phenotypes”, the team wrote.

“The random assignment of alleles [versions of a gene] to offspring during conception reduces the likelihood of external environmental and confounding factors influencing the association between genetic variation and phenotype,” the researchers said.

The team obtained data on 17 different dietary factors from the UK Biobank – a long-term study of genetic predisposition and environmental exposure to developing disease, which used questionnaires to gather information on the dietary intake of participants.

Data on four skin conditions – ageing, pigmentation, scarring and fibrosis, and cancer – was obtained from the biobank alongside a genome-wide association study, which identifies genes associated with disease traits.

“No evidence was found to establish a causal relationship between genetically determined dietary intakes and scarring and skin fibrosis,” the researchers said.

Drinking champagne and white wine and eating beef was linked to an increased risk of developing cutaneous melanoma, and eating bread was associated with developing keratinocyte skin cancer.

“Globally, skin cancer is among the most prevalent types of cancer,” the researchers wrote.

“Understanding the impact of dietary factors on skin conditions can help improve skin health by optimising and adjusting dietary intake.”

Although MR studies allow for better analysis of causal relationships, the team said there were still limits to their study such as a lack of analysis of age and gender subgroups, and whether the results could be generalised beyond the European population that was studied.

The researchers said they also “could not exclude the influence of external factors such as environment, occupation and family” on the results.

Why US moves have failed to ‘contain’ China and instead ‘bring us close to war’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269492/why-us-moves-have-failed-contain-china-and-instead-bring-us-close-war?utm_source=rss_feed

Jeffrey Sachs is an economics professor and director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. This interview first appeared in . For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click .

The China Development Forum was an excellent opportunity, as usual, for an update on China’s economy and foreign policy outlook. Chinese leaders have a very realistic view of the domestic and also the global situation, notably regarding the tensions with the US.

In my own view, the US-China tensions are overwhelmingly caused by the American anxiety that US power is waning around the world. US policymakers are reacting defensively and fearfully, and often very unwisely.

The US launched a policy around 2015 to “contain” China, including several components. These policies – spelled out in a for the Council on Foreign Relations by Robert Blackwill and Ashley Tellis – included the attempt to create trade agreements, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) designed to exclude China, increased export bans on hi-tech products such as advanced semiconductors, increased trade barriers to China’s exports to the US (and Europe), increased militarisation of the South China Sea, new military alignments such as Aukus, and opposition to Chinese initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.

I believe that every one of these approaches is a failure. They do not “contain” China, but they raise tensions, lower economic well-being and global economic efficiency, divide the world economy, and bring us close to war.

China is already at the cutting edge of many of the key global technologies needed for the coming 25 years: photovoltaics, wind power, modular nuclear power, long-distance power transmission, 5G (now 5.5G), batteries, electric vehicles and other areas. These will keep the Chinese economy moving forward.

The US and Europe are turning protectionist, so China’s markets will increasingly be in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.

The Belt and Road Initiative and related policies will play a larger role as the world invests in the new energy and digital systems. China’s trade and financial relations will turn increasingly towards the emerging and developing countries. It’s notable that the Brics are already significantly larger in GDP than the G7. Of course, the best outcome economically would be a globally connected and integrated world.

There is no overcapacity in EVs, but there is the need to build out EV markets in the emerging and developing countries. Unfortunately, the US and Europe are likely to become more protectionist and will significantly close their markets to China’s EVs, but the US and European EV producers will not be able to compete with China’s EVs in third markets in the emerging and developing economies.

Most likely, no country will be hegemon in the 21st century because technological and military capacities will be too widely spread, and demographic trends will weigh against a single hegemon. The US, EU, China, India, West Asia, African Union and South America (led mainly by Brazil), will each have their place and role regionally, without a global hegemon. China in particular will continue to raise income levels per person. But with an absolute decline in population, China’s share of world output will most likely not increase beyond 20 per cent (measured at PPP).

China’s population is likely to fall from around 18 per cent of the world population today to perhaps 10 per cent of the world population in 2100. Nothing is bad or wrong with that, from China’s perspective, in terms of well-being and security. Yet it will mean that China’s share of world output will be limited by demographic trends.

Let us add that there is no history of China even attempting to become a global hegemon. China’s long history of statecraft was not based on obtaining overseas empires. I find it notable, for example, that China never once tried to invade Japan during more than 2,000 years of statecraft, except during the short period when the Mongols ruled China, and the Mongols tried unsuccessfully twice to invade Japan – in 1274 and 1281.

Relations will be difficult no matter who is elected president in November. The US “deep state” has so far been unable to accept the reality of China’s success. The US deep state still operates according to the delusions of US “primacy” which no longer exists (and US primacy was limited even 30 years ago). This is a dangerous delusion, as it could lead to a US-China war in Asia, as it has led to a US-Russia proxy war in Ukraine.

The deep state is the set of US security institutions, including the White House (and the president’s National Security Council), the Pentagon, the intelligence agencies (centred on the CIA), the Armed Services Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee of Congress, and the major arms contractors (notably Lockheed Martin, RTX, Boeing, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman). They are the drivers of America’s wars, regime-change operations, and foreign policy more generally. This is a big business, involving more than US$1 trillion dollar per year in direct outlays, so there is heavy lobbying involved as well.

This is not any kind of conspiracy theory, just a fact about the organisation of the US state. There is little role of public opinion involved in US security policy (including wars and regime-change operations). Much of it is indeed secretive, which is why whistle-blowing and leaks are considered such a high offence in the US. The deep state has been engaged in perhaps 90 covert and overt regime-change operations since 1947 (the date the CIA was created), and in pervasive warfare. The deep state manages a network of more than 750 overseas military bases in around 80 countries, and those bases of operation are key to US-led wars and regime-change operations.

US foreign policy is based on military alliances, economic pressures, and covert operations of destabilisation. This is all well documented, and applies to China, Russia and other regions of the world. US actions in East Asia (military bases, military alliances, trade measures, covert operations) are indeed designed to contain or weaken China. US actions vis-à-vis Taiwan, especially continuing to arm Taiwan contrary to the letter and spirit of the , are the most dangerous and destabilising of the US actions.

It is worth recalling key language of that communique: “The United States government states that it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.”

That was 42 years ago.

In the US media, there is a recent flood of talk about war with China. This is horrendously irresponsible, ignorant and dangerous. Such a war would be devastating and must be avoided at all cost. Even the casual discussion of such a possibility betrays a lack of prudence and judgment. The US should stop meddling in the Taiwan issue.

Without US meddling, it will be handled peacefully by both sides. With US meddling, the danger of conflict is much higher. This is the kind of miscalculation that led to the disastrous war in Ukraine. The US wanted to push Nato to Ukraine and thought it could get away with it despite Russia’s firm red line against it. The US completely misjudged, and the war ensued. Then the US thought that Ukraine could defeat Russia on the basis of Nato arms and Western sanctions. This too was a profound misjudgment. The consequences for Ukraine have been devastating. My point is that the US security-state policymaking is not very sound or strong. Just look at the legacy of US-led wars of choice in Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Ukraine, among other places.

The level of foolishness in the US discourse is very high. That’s true in the media, but also in the think tanks sponsored by the military-industrial complex. The talk of war has become normalised.

Both Trump and Biden compete to show how tough they are vis-à-vis China, and much or most of the US Congress is even more absurd, because few members of Congress know much if anything about China, it’s history and its policies. These China-bashers resort to vulgar and dangerous anti-China rhetoric.

There was and is a lot of convenient naivete in the US economic discourse. In promoting the Washington Consensus, the US government wanted to open the markets of other countries in order to control natural resources, establish financial institutions, and generally open the way for US foreign investments.

The promoters of the Washington Consensus didn’t pay much if any attention to issues such as education, healthcare, social protection, infrastructure, technology, research and development, environmental management, and the countless policy areas where the public sector has a major role, if not dominant role.

It was obvious to many of us 30 years ago that the Washington Consensus was full of empty rhetoric, not reality. This was obvious since most high-income economies themselves generally had government outlays of 40 per cent or more of GDP, which was completely inconsistent with the talk of “free markets” emanating from Washington.

We are not seeing the end of globalisation. Globalisation has been part and parcel of human history and will remain so, especially as the new digital technologies make global linkages even more immediate. Overall, global linkages in trade, finance, technology, culture, travel, migration, science and technology are all here to stay. So too are the global linkages related to common global challenges such as human-induced climate change.

Yet we are also seeing increased protectionism in the US and Europe as they react defensively to the rise of China, Russia, India and other emerging economies. We are definitely seeing increased geopolitical tensions as well, mainly as the US again confronts the harsh reality that it is not in charge of the world. Alas, Biden still believes the US leads a unipolar world, and this delusion is the source of growing conflict.

Both wars could end tomorrow through diplomacy. The Ukraine war was caused by the US push since the 1990s to enlarge Nato to Ukraine and Georgia with the goal of surrounding Russia in the Black Sea, an idea that goes back to Lord Palmerston in the 1850s and that was revived by Brzezinski in the 1990s.

This idea crossed Russia’s red line, quite understandably, since Russia rejects a US military alliance on its 2,100km border with Ukraine just as the US would absolutely reject a Russian or China military alliance with Mexico along the US border. This is all obvious, even if it is denied daily by the US government.

By finally recognising the futility and danger of trying to push Nato to Ukraine and Georgia, the US could take away the underlying cause of the Ukraine war.

The war in Gaza could also be ended tomorrow if the UN would recognise Palestine as the 194th UN member state along the lines of the 1967 border. The US is the only practical obstacle to this solution. Israel’s right-wing government utterly rejects a state of Palestine and counts on the US to back up Israel. Yet the whole rest of the world sees that the path to peace is through the two-state solution.

One can say that the growing dangers over Taiwan are similar. The US is unilaterally arming Taiwan despite the strenuous objections of the PRC. The US actions are in fact putting Taiwan in great peril, just as the US put Ukraine in great peril. The US should act with moderation and circumspection, and support peace not by arming Taiwan but calling for peaceful approaches across the strait. Diplomacy, not war, is the only viable approach.

China’s main role should be to promote diplomatic solutions in Ukraine and Gaza through the United Nations and based on the UN Charter. There should be a global UN conference on peace in Ukraine based on Ukraine’s neutrality; the end of the US attempt to expand Nato to Ukraine; and an end to the fighting. Unfortunately, the [June] “peace conference” in Switzerland (which was not a UN conference) was not based on such obvious steps.

There should also be a global UN conference to implement the two-state solution in Israel and Palestine. China and Brazil have reportedly discussed together the promotion of such a peace conference, and now the Arab League nations are calling for such a UN-backed conference.

The current trajectory, alas, is one of escalating war, mainly because the US government has forgotten about diplomacy with the other major powers. This is very dangerous. It’s urgently time to return to diplomacy.

UN Agency: China Leading AI Patents Race

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/un-agency-china-leading-ai-patents-race/7686347.html

Recent United Nations data shows that China is ahead of other countries in filing patents for generative artificial intelligence (or GenAI) inventions.

China has filed six times more patents than the United States.

Generative AI produces text, images, computer code and even music from existing information. Generative AI is growing quickly with more than 50,000 patent applications filed in the past ten years, the World Intellectual Property Organization (or WIPO) says.

WIPO is a UN agency that oversees a system for countries to share recognition of patents. Around 25 percent of the patent applications were filed in 2023 alone, WIPO said.

"This is an area that is growing at increasing speed. And it's somewhere that we expect to grow even more," WIPO’s Christopher Harrison told reporters recently.

China filed more than 38,000 GenAI inventions between 2014-2023. In comparison, the United States filed 6,276 over the same period, WIPO said.

Harrison said the Chinese patent applications covered several areas from autonomous driving to publishing to document management.

South Korea, Japan and India placed third, fourth and fifth respectively, with India growing at the fastest rate, the data showed.

Among the top applicants were China's ByteDance - which owns the video application TikTok - Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group, and Microsoft, a backer of OpenAI which created ChatGPT.

WIPO's Harrison said while chatbots with the ability to copy human communication are already being widely used to improve customer service, GenAI could change industries like science, publishing, transportation or security. For example, Harrison said data suggests GenAI-created molecules might help speed up drug development.

WIPO said it expects even more patents to be filed soon. And the agency plans to release a future update of the data, possibly using generative AI.

I’m John Russell.

 

Emma Farge reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

patent -- n. a document that gives a person or company the right to be the only one that makes or sells a product for an amount of time

generative -- adj. describes using artificial intelligence algorithms to create complete units of content

application – n. a formal, written request for something

autonomous – adj. acting separately from other people or things

chatbot -- n. a program designed to chat with human beings