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# 关于中国的新闻报道：经济章节

引言

　　近期，西方媒体对中国经济的报道频繁，涉及多个方面，包括国内需求不足、技术创新、国际贸易等。这些报道虽然提供了一些有价值的信息，但也存在明显的偏见和双重标准。为了更客观地评价这些报道，本章节将详细分析西方媒体对中国经济的报道，揭示其中的偏见，并提供更为客观和全面的视角。

国内需求不足

报道内容

　　西方媒体指出，中国经济面临国内需求不足的问题，导致经济增长放缓。报道称，居民消费意愿低迷，主要原因是资金短缺和对经济前景的不确定性。

评价

　　1. 资金短缺：居民消费意愿低迷确实与资金短缺有关，但这并不是唯一原因。中国政府近年来推出了一系列刺激消费的政策，如发放消费券、降低个人所得税等，但效果有限。这说明消费意愿低迷背后还有其他深层次原因，如收入分配不均、社会保障体系不完善等。

　　2. 经济前景不确定性：西方媒体对中国经济前景的不确定性进行了过度渲染。实际上，中国经济在全球范围内仍然表现出较强的韧性和潜力。中国政府正在积极推进供给侧结构性改革，优化营商环境，提升经济增长的质量和效益。

技术创新

报道内容

　　西方媒体认为，中国寄希望于技术创新来推动经济复苏，但效果不明显。报道还指出，美国正在加强对中国的技术制裁，限制中国的技术发展。

评价

　　1. 技术创新的作用：技术创新确实是推动经济增长的重要动力，但不能被视为唯一的解决方案。中国在技术创新方面取得了显著成就，如5G通信、人工智能等领域的领先地位。然而，技术创新需要与其他经济政策相结合，如产业升级、市场开放等，才能发挥最大效益。

　　2. 美国的技术制裁：美国对中国的技术制裁确实对中国的技术发展造成了一定影响，但中国也在积极应对。中国政府和企业正在加大自主创新力度，推动关键技术的自主可控。此外，中国还在加强与其他国家的技术合作，拓展国际市场。

国际贸易

报道内容

　　西方媒体报道了中国与俄罗斯、伊朗等国家的贸易关系，指出这些关系对中国经济的影响。报道还提到，中国与欧盟之间的贸易摩擦加剧，特别是在电动汽车领域。

评价

　　1. 中俄贸易关系：中俄贸易关系的加强是双方经济互补性的体现。俄罗斯在能源、农产品等领域具有优势，而中国在制造业、技术等领域具有优势。双方的贸易合作有助于提升经济效益，促进共同发展。

　　2. 中伊贸易关系：中伊贸易关系的加强是中国外交政策的体现。中国作为全球第二大经济体，有责任和义务推动国际合作，帮助伊朗等国家应对经济困境。这不仅有助于维护国际经济秩序，也有助于促进地区和平与稳定。

　　3. 中欧贸易摩擦：中欧贸易摩擦主要集中在电动汽车领域。欧盟对中国电动汽车的高关税政策，反映了其保护主义倾向。中国企业在电动汽车领域具有竞争优势，欧盟的保护主义政策不仅不利于中国企业，也不利于全球电动汽车产业的发展。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国经济的报道存在明显的偏见和双重标准。这些报道虽然提供了一些有价值的信息，但也存在夸大负面因素、忽视正面因素的倾向。中国经济面临的挑战确实存在，但也有许多积极的因素和应对措施。为了更客观地评价中国经济，需要综合考虑各种因素，避免片面和偏颇的观点。

新闻来源： 2412250635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-24

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Politics 章节

引言

　　近期，西方媒体对中国的政治报道持续增加，涵盖了中美关系、国际合作、科技发展与安全等多个方面。尽管这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国在国际舞台上的重要地位，但其内容常常带有明显的偏见和双重标准。为了更客观地理解这些报道，本文将对近期西方媒体关于中国政治的报道进行详细分析和评价。

中美关系

　　#### 学术交流与政治影响

　　西方媒体报道称，随着美国政府的更迭，中美学术交流面临新的挑战。共和党控制国会两院后，对中国的强硬态度可能导致学术交流项目的缩减。尽管美国政府下调了对华旅行警告级别，但共和党议员对此表示不满，并对与中国合作的美国学术机构发起攻击。

　　评价：学术交流是中美关系的重要组成部分，有助于增进两国人民的相互了解和合作。然而，美国政府的政策波动和党派斗争可能对这一领域产生负面影响。中美双方应努力维持和加强学术交流，避免将其政治化。

　　#### 经济制裁与安全调查

　　美国政府对中国半导体产业发起301调查，可能导致新一轮关税制裁。美国指责中国通过不公平手段扩大市场份额，威胁美国及盟国的经济安全。

　　评价：美国对中国半导体产业的调查和潜在制裁反映了其对中国科技进步的担忧。然而，单边制裁并非解决问题的最佳途径。中美双方应通过对话和合作，寻求双赢的解决方案，促进全球半导体产业的健康发展。

国际合作与地缘政治

　　#### 中东外交

　　报道指出，中国在中东地区的外交影响力受到挑战，特别是随着美国对伊朗的制裁和地区局势的紧张。中国需要在复杂的地缘政治环境中寻找平衡点，维护与各方的关系。

　　评价：中国在中东地区的外交政策以和平发展和合作共赢为基础。中国应继续发挥建设性作用，推动地区和平与稳定，避免被卷入地区冲突。

　　#### 南海问题

　　专家呼吁南海各方合作解决领土争端，并建议中国在此过程中发挥领导作用。

　　评价：南海问题复杂且敏感，需要各方通过对话和合作寻求解决方案。中国作为地区大国，应积极推动和平解决争端，维护地区和平与稳定。

国内政治与社会治理

　　#### 网络安全与反间谍

　　中国国家安全部发布警告，提醒公众防范外国间谍在社交媒体上散布谣言和煽动不满情绪。中国政府加强了对网络安全和反间谍工作的重视。

　　评价：网络安全是当今社会的重要议题，各国均面临类似挑战。中国政府加强网络安全和反间谍工作，是维护国家安全和社会稳定的必要措施。然而，在实施这些措施时，应注重保护公民的合法权益，避免过度干预。

　　#### 历史观与英雄崇拜

　　中国政府严格打击“历史虚无主义”，警告外国间谍在社交媒体上诋毁历史英雄。

　　评价：历史观问题关系到国家认同和社会凝聚力。中国政府维护历史真相，防止历史虚无主义的倾向是正当的。然而，在处理这一问题时，应注重客观公正，避免将学术讨论和历史研究政治化。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国政治的报道往往带有明显的偏见和双重标准，但仍然反映了中国在国际舞台上的重要地位和面临的挑战。中国应在国际合作中保持开放和包容的态度，同时坚定维护国家主权和安全。通过对话和合作，中国可以更好地应对国际环境的变化，推动全球和平与发展。

新闻来源： 2412250635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-24

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Culture章节

引言

　　近年来，西方媒体对中国文化的报道呈现出多样化的趋势。尽管这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国文化的多样性和活力，但也不乏偏见和双重标准的影响。本章节将对这些报道进行客观评价，旨在提供一个更为全面和公正的视角。

文化交流与合作

　　#### 中印文化交流

　　西方媒体报道了中印之间文化交流的重要性，指出这种交流有助于减少两国之间的模糊性和不确定性。例如，张家东教授在《环球时报》上发表的文章强调，中印两国在人文交流方面存在较大差距，这导致了两国对彼此理解的不足。张教授认为，增加人文交流可以促进互信，缓解两国关系中的紧张局势。

　　#### 中西科技交流

　　西方媒体还报道了中国与西方国家在科技领域的交流与合作。例如，汉琦教授在香港理工大学的研究表明，中国在科技领域的进步不仅受益于自身的传统技术，还受益于与西方国家的合作。汉琦教授指出，中国在电池和太阳能等领域的技术进步，很大程度上得益于西方的科技成果，但中国通过创新和成本控制，使这些技术更加普及。

文化遗产与创新

　　#### 中国传统文化

　　西方媒体对中国传统文化的报道较为详尽，尤其是对中国四大发明（造纸术、印刷术、火药、指南针）以及瓷器和丝绸的影响力进行了高度评价。然而，这些报道有时忽视了中国在其他领域的贡献，例如天文学和医学。汉琦教授指出，中国在天文学方面有着悠久的传统，早在2000多年前就已经开始进行天文观测。

　　#### 现代文化创新

　　西方媒体也关注到中国在现代文化创新方面的成就。例如，中国在高铁技术、电动汽车和可再生能源等领域的进步，得到了广泛的报道。这些报道通常会提到中国在技术创新方面的迅速发展，但有时也会带有一定的担忧，担心中国的技术进步会对西方国家的科技领导地位构成威胁。

文化多样性与包容性

　　#### 民族文化保护

　　西方媒体对中国在保护民族文化方面的努力给予了一定的关注。例如，中国政府在保护少数民族文化遗产方面的政策和措施，得到了一些媒体的肯定。然而，这些报道有时也会带有一定的偏见，认为中国在民族文化保护方面的努力是为了政治目的。

　　#### 文化包容性

　　西方媒体还报道了中国在文化包容性方面的进步。例如，中国在接纳外来文化和促进多元文化共存方面的努力，得到了一些媒体的认可。然而，这些报道有时也会带有一定的批评，认为中国在文化包容性方面仍有改进的空间。

结论

　　总体而言，西方媒体对中国文化的报道既有正面的评价，也有一定的偏见和双重标准。这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国文化的多样性和活力，但也存在一些误解和偏见。未来，中国在加强文化交流和合作的同时，也需要更加积极地向国际社会展示自身文化的多样性和包容性，以消除偏见和误解。

新闻来源： 2412250635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-24

### 关于中国的新闻报道：Technology 章节

　　#### 1. 引言 近年来，西方媒体对中国科技发展的报道日益频繁。这些报道涵盖了中国在科技领域的各种突破、与西方国家的技术合作与竞争，以及中国在全球科技版图中的地位。然而，西方媒体在报道中国科技时，往往带有一定的偏见和双重标准，这使得报道内容具有一定的片面性。本章将对西方媒体关于中国科技的报道进行客观评价，揭示其中的偏见和事实，以期为读者提供一个更为全面和客观的视角。

　　#### 2. 中国科技发展的历史背景 中国有着悠久的科技传统，四大发明（造纸术、印刷术、火药、指南针）对世界科技进步产生了深远影响。近代以来，中国在科技领域经历了从落后到追赶，再到部分领先的过程。改革开放以来，中国科技发展迅速，特别是在信息技术、人工智能、新能源等领域取得了显著成就。

　　#### 3. 西方媒体对中国科技发展的报道 西方媒体对中国科技发展的报道主要集中在以下几个方面：

　　##### 3.1 技术突破与创新 西方媒体经常报道中国在科技领域的重大突破，如5G技术、量子计算、人工智能等。然而，这些报道往往强调中国在技术上的“抄袭”和“模仿”，忽视了中国科研人员的原创性和创新能力。例如，中国在高铁技术上的突破，尽管受到德国、日本和法国的影响，但中国在此基础上进行了大量的创新和改进，使得中国高铁技术达到了世界领先水平。

　　##### 3.2 中美科技竞争 中美科技竞争是西方媒体的热点话题。美国对中国科技企业的制裁和“实体清单”的设立，成为报道的焦点。西方媒体往往将中国描绘为“技术窃贼”，忽视了中国科技企业在全球市场上的合法竞争和创新。实际上，中国在科技领域的崛起，更多是依靠自身的努力和创新能力，而非所谓的“窃取”。

　　##### 3.3 全球科技合作 西方媒体也报道了中国与其他国家在科技领域的合作，特别是与非洲国家的合作。中国的科技合作项目，如在非洲推广的太阳能技术和数字支付系统，得到了当地政府和民众的欢迎。然而，西方媒体往往将这些合作描绘为中国的“地缘政治工程”，忽视了这些项目对当地经济和社会发展的积极影响。

　　#### 4. 西方媒体报道中的偏见与双重标准 西方媒体在报道中国科技时，存在明显的偏见和双重标准：

　　##### 4.1 偏见 西方媒体往往带有意识形态的偏见，将中国的科技发展视为对西方霸权的挑战。这种偏见使得报道内容具有一定的片面性，忽视了中国科技发展的客观事实和积极意义。

　　##### 4.2 双重标准 西方媒体在报道中国科技时，往往采用双重标准。例如，美国的科技企业在全球市场上的扩张和竞争，被视为正常的商业行为，而中国的科技企业在全球市场上的扩张和竞争，则被视为“不公平竞争”和“技术窃取”。这种双重标准使得报道内容具有明显的不公平性。

　　#### 5. 结论 西方媒体对中国科技的报道，尽管在一定程度上反映了中国科技发展的现状，但由于带有偏见和双重标准，报道内容具有一定的片面性和不公平性。为了获得对中国科技发展的全面和客观的认识，读者需要综合多方信息，进行独立思考和判断。

　　#### 6. 建议 面对西方媒体的偏见和双重标准，中国应加强国际传播能力，积极向世界展示中国科技发展的真实情况和积极意义。同时，中国科技企业应加强知识产权保护，提升自主创新能力，在全球市场上进行公平竞争。通过这些努力，中国可以在全球科技版图中占据更加重要的地位，赢得更多的国际认可和尊重。

新闻来源： 2412250635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-24

### 关于中国的新闻报道：Society章节

　　#### 引言

　　近年来，西方媒体对中国的社会报道频繁，内容广泛，涵盖科技发展、教育交流、文化影响等多个方面。然而，这些报道往往带有明显的偏见和双重标准。为了更客观地评价这些报道，本章节将详细分析西方媒体对中国社会的报道内容及其背后的动机，并提供更为中立和全面的视角。

　　#### 科技发展与国际影响

　　1. 科技进步与国际合作 西方媒体经常报道中国在科技领域的快速发展，但往往忽视了中国在这一过程中所付出的努力和取得的成就。例如，中国的高铁技术虽然受到德国、日本和法国的影响，但中国在此基础上进行了大量的创新和改进，使其高铁技术达到了世界领先水平。然而，西方媒体往往将中国的科技进步简单归因于“模仿”或“窃取”，忽视了中国自身的创新能力和贡献。

　　2. 国际合作与知识传播 西方媒体常常强调中国在国际科技合作中的“威胁”，但忽视了合作带来的互惠互利。例如，中国与南亚和印度洋地区国家的合作不仅促进了当地的基础设施建设，还推动了科技知识的传播和共享。中国的科技进步不仅仅是为了国内发展，更是为了全球共同发展。

　　#### 教育交流与文化影响

　　1. 教育交流的挑战与机遇 西方媒体经常报道中国学生在西方国家留学人数的减少，并将其归因于政治关系的紧张。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国在教育领域的自身发展和吸引力。中国不仅在国内不断提升教育质量，还积极推动与其他国家的教育交流。尽管面临挑战，中国仍然是许多国际学生的首选留学目的地。

　　2. 文化影响与交流 西方媒体对中国文化影响的报道往往带有偏见，忽视了中国文化在全球范围内的广泛影响力。例如，中国的传统节日和文化活动在全球范围内受到欢迎，中国的文化产品如电影、音乐和文学作品也在国际市场上取得了显著成功。中国的文化交流不仅丰富了全球文化多样性，还促进了不同文化之间的相互理解和尊重。

　　#### 社会问题与政策应对

　　1. 社会问题的复杂性 西方媒体经常报道中国的社会问题，如房地产危机、债务问题和消费低迷等。然而，这些报道往往忽视了这些问题背后的复杂性和中国政府为应对这些问题所采取的措施。例如，中国政府在房地产市场调控、债务风险管理和促进消费等方面采取了一系列政策措施，取得了显著成效。

　　2. 政策应对与社会进步 西方媒体往往忽视了中国在社会政策方面的进步和成就。例如，中国在社会保障、财富分配和劳动权益等方面不断推进改革，取得了显著成效。中国政府通过一系列政策措施，不断提升居民的生活质量和社会福利水平。

　　#### 结论

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国社会的报道往往带有明显的偏见和双重标准，忽视了中国在科技发展、教育交流、文化影响和社会政策等方面取得的显著成就。为了更客观地理解中国社会的发展，我们需要采取更为中立和全面的视角，认识到中国在全球发展中的积极贡献和重要作用。通过加强国际合作和交流，我们可以共同推动全球社会的进步和发展。

新闻来源： 2412250635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-12-24

• How friendly will Europe’s right wing be to Trump on China? It’s complicated
• ‘We need to be prepared’: China adapts to era of extreme flooding
• China sets world record with ‘polar ready’ 58,000-tonne flat-top cargo ship
• China’s finance ministry vows measures to boost consumption and investment next year
• State Council guideline encourages private investment in China’s railways
• Foxconn invests in EV battery plant in China to diversify business beyond Apple’s iPhones
• China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash
• Ukraine war: Zelensky thanks China for supporting territorial integrity
• Who is Jolin Zhu? Young Chinese woman, sixth wife of 80-year-old billionaire Oracle founder
• China names Chen Hui to lead PLA ground force political work amid personnel shake-up
• China’s small businesses gasp for air as consumption slump deepens
• Philippine army wants to buy Typhon system, China slams ‘extremely irresponsible choice’
• China wife sets sex worker trap for sham husband in bid to divorce him, pocket bride price
• Chinese court delivers suspended death sentence for SUV primary school attack
• Luckin Coffee’s entry into Hong Kong a sign of mainland Chinese brands’ growing dominance
• What is neijuan, and why is China worried about it?
• Chinese EV industry’s lithium demand fuels research into ‘low-quality’ sources
• China funeral home asks job seekers to spend 10 minutes in morgue, sparks public amusement
• China’s extended visa-free tourist stays drive momentum for opening
• China’s massive solar rooftop roll-out gains traction, but grid struggles to keep pace

How friendly will Europe’s right wing be to Trump on China? It’s complicated

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3292141/how-friendly-will-europes-right-wing-be-trump-and-his-china-policies-its-complicated?utm_source=rss_feed

“USA today. The future has begun!” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted on X this month after visiting Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, along with photographs including one of the Time magazine cover of the president-elect, its person of the year.

Two days earlier, Trump dined with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a reception for the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, telling reporters she was “a real live wire” that he “got along great” with.

That Trump would hit it off with the two European right-wing leaders is no surprise. They share similar views on the challenge of immigration and many other social issues that define the populist fervour that brought each to power.

Trump, who has often treated Brussels with derision, is also well known for trying to work with leaders whom he likes, even if doing so is counter to traditional engagements that US President Joe Biden relied on to shore up Washington’s transatlantic leadership.

Biden has generally been effective working with the European Union and Nato to craft a more unified “China threat” narrative that has helped convince Europe’s leaders to align with his approach to Beijing.

Given Trump’s confrontational approach to international relations in his first term, though, few expect a continuation of Biden’s methods. Indeed, many of Europe’s far-right leaders are celebrating Trump’s return, and analysts speculate that his ties to Europe’s right will influence the EU’s China policy – and vice versa.

Orban and Meloni, two of Trump’s European allies and leaders of the EU’s most successful right-wing factions, however, differ on their China strategies – one is considered “China-friendly”, another is more hardline – complicating forecasts about which way Trump will tack.

Other prominent far-right European figures such as Marine Le Pen in France and Alice Weidel, the co-chair of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) have also congratulated Trump on his return.

But while these leaders seem ideologically close to Trump, analysts said, they do not fall into lockstep in the increasing US-China rivalry, especially when it comes to tariffs and the Ukraine war.

Should Trump make good on his vow to impose a 10 to 20 per cent tariffs on all imports – which will affect US allies in Europe along with every other exporting nation – analysts said it would affect US-EU ties as well as how the bloc assesses trade with China.

Indeed, any determination of how the US and its transatlantic allies behave toward China in 2025 – whether they will harden or ease their policies – could well depend on which European leaders have more sway with Trump.

Dimitris Tsarouhas, research director at Virginia Tech’s Centre for European Union and Transatlantic Studies, said that compared with Meloni, Orban – who has maintained close connections with Trump since his first term – was more a “privileged partner”.

Meloni has “proven to be a very reliable ally … but in terms of the ideological proximity, the ideological affinity, Trump is closer to Orban,” Tsarouhas said, who is also a fellow at the Wilson Centre’s Global Europe Programme.

Hungary is often considered as the most China-friendly nation in the EU, frequently at odds with the bloc’s China policies. The country, which voted against tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, is home to Chinese EV giant BYD’s first plant in Europe and is a major focus of China’s belt and road investments.

Cristina Vanberghen, a senior policy expert at the EU Commission, said that Budapest would probably try to use its ties with both the US and China to negotiate better terms for itself.

“Orban’s stance toward China will not change drastically under Trump’s second term,” she said.

“He values the economic benefits of Chinese investments and sees China as a counterbalance to US and EU pressures.

“His prioritisation of Hungary’s sovereignty could mean he continues working with China in areas where Brussels is more hesitant. But he won’t allow China to undermine Hungary’s relationship with the US.”

But in case Trump applies aggressive policies toward Beijing, such as diplomatic isolation, Orban would probably “soften” his China-friendly rhetoric to “avoid alienating the US”, Vanberghen added.

Meloni is expected to be more “Trumpian” than Orban towards China, especially when it comes to Italian national interests and security concerns.

Meloni pulled out of China’s Belt and Road Initiative last year – reversing her predecessor Giuseppe Conte’s decision that made Italy the first Group of 7 nation to sign on Beijing’s trillion-dollar global development programme.

Moreover, despite her far-right affiliation, she is becoming a more respected and influential figure in the EU, aligning with the bloc’s major policies. She supports the EU’s “de-risking” approach toward China, and Italy voted to impose up to 45.3 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Lorenzo Castellani, a political-science professor at Luiss University in Rome, said that Italy was not particularly “China-averse”, but would align with Trump and the EU’s policies regarding EVs and Chinese investments in strategic sectors.

“Italian industries need China for raw materials and Italian products need the Chinese market. What is at stake is the cooperation on technology, digital and environmental, and infrastructures. On these dossiers it is likely to have more opposition than in the past,” he said.

Unlike Orban, who has pushed back on Nato and the EU’s commitment to Ukraine in its defence against Russia, analysts said that Meloni’s support for traditional European alliances could become a friction point with Trump, who has threatened to cut off US aid to Ukraine and is notorious for his disdain for Nato.

He has often hinted at a possible US withdrawal from the alliance if European members do not live up to their defence obligations.

“This more positive relationship between Trump and Meloni could soon sour if Meloni continues her supportive stance on Ukraine and particularly if Italy fails to meet the annual 2 per cent Nato defence budget target,” said James Downes, an international relations scholar at Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

Germany and France – the EU’s economic powerhouses, with heavy influence in the bloc’s policymaking – may be seeing political transitions as well, with both nations’ governments facing challenges by far-right political parties.

The AfD – representatives of which took part in some Trump campaign events and posed with him on election night – is in second place in national polls after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a no-confidence vote this month, paving the way for a snap election for February.

The AfD is believed to have ties with China. Weidel, the party’s co-chair and chancellor candidate for the February election, speaks Mandarin and has studied in China. The party has sent official delegations to visit China – but an aide to a party official has been accused of spying for Beijing.

Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, said it was uncertain whether Trump would try to influence the party on China, which is “not as relevant in the short term” since it is unlikely to be part of Germany’s next government.

“AfD … is at odds with Trump on tariffs and EVs, inviting Chinese EVs rather than banning them,” he said.

Germany, long a strong trading partner of China, is vocal about how the EU’s EV tariffs hurts the German car industry, which has significant investments in China.

Le Pen from France’s right-wing National Rally – unlike other far-right figures – has appeared less enthusiastic about Trump’s return, fearing that his proposed tariffs could hurt French interests, especially for farmers, her voter base. She did not endorse Trump during his campaign.

Philippe Le Corre of the Centre for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute does not see Le Pen as someone Trump is interested in, since her political future remains unclear.

After three failed bids for the French presidency, Le Pen is eying another run in 2027. Her party now holds about a third of the seats in the French National Assembly, and helped to bring down President Emmanuel Macron’s government this month.

But she is also facing a trial over suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds. If convicted, she would be banned from French politics for five years.

Le Corre does not think Le Pen “can be of any help” to Trump unless she becomes president. “I don’t even think he would agree to meet her,” he said.

Le Pen’s China stance has fluctuated over the years. Former National Rally official Herve Juvin congratulated China on its 20th Party Congress in 2022, and was part of a EU parliament delegation to visit Beijing last year.

But Le Pen also opposes the EU’s green energy initiative, proposing to halt wind power development. That would hit China, a major exporter of wind turbines which is now facing an anti-subsidy inquiry by the EU.

If she survives her legal battles and emerges as a favourite for the next French presidency, she is expected to align with Trump to prioritise national interests over the EU or Nato, which could “create an opening for China” to exploit this fragmentation and develop relations with individual EU countries, according to Vanberghen.

The Ukraine war could be another major issue that sees EU’s far-right split on the position of Trump or China.

While Meloni has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, many other far-right leaders in Europe echo Trump’s call to cut off aid to Kyiv and are often criticised by their “pro-Russia” stance, prompting questions over whether they are sceptical about China’s ties with Russia.

Beijing’s partnership with Moscow has become a major source of friction in its relations with Europe.

Some analysts suggest that should Trump, who seems eager to do so, broker an end to the war, it might ease China-EU strains. But Downes of Hong Kong Metropolitan University argued that it might not necessarily be the case, even for Europe’s right.

“EU’s right-wing leaders generally view China’s ties with Russia through the lens of geopolitics, security, and economic interests. [They] may see may see the relationship between China and Russia as a potential challenge to Western dominance and as a strategic alliance that could impact global power dynamics.”

Wang Yiwei, a European studies scholar at Renmin University in Beijing, said that despite similar populist ideas, Europe’s far-right leaders were unlikely to toe Trump’s line at the expense of Europe’s needs.

“The biggest division between the US and the European Union is the difference in their own interests. ‘Making America great again’ will definitely sacrifice the interests of the European Union,” Wang said.

‘We need to be prepared’: China adapts to era of extreme flooding

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/24/we-need-to-be-prepared-china-adapts-to-era-of-extreme-flooding

Every summer, Dongting Hu, China’s second-largest freshwater lake, swells in size as flood water from the Yangtze River flows into its borders. Dams and dikes are erected around the lake’s edges to protect against flooding. But this year, not for the first time, they were overwhelmed.

For three days in early July, more than 800 rescue workers in Hunan province scrambled to block the breaches. One rupture alone took 100,000 cubic metres of rock to seal, according to Zhang Yingchun, a Hunan official. At least 7,000 people had to be evacuated. It was one of a series of disasters to hit China as the country grappled with a summer of extreme weather. By August, there had been 25 large floods, the biggest number since records began in 1998, reported state media.

Xi Jinping, China’s president, “urged all-out rescue and relief work” to safeguard the people affected by the flooding in Hunan, state media reported.

One of those people was Ren Benxin, an archaeologist who lives on a small, forested island in the upper tributaries of Dongting Hu. He calls his idyllic home Soultopia. As well as carrying out archaeological research, he provides accommodation for travellers and looks after the herd of stray cats and dogs that he has adopted over the years.

On 5 July, his home was flooded. “First, I rescued the animals. Then, I rescued the supplies,” he said. “It was the first time in 10 years that I’d experienced something like this.”

The wooden huts in Ren’s corner of the islet were nearly completely submerged in muddy water. Chickens used the remnants of destroyed buildings as rafts to avoid drowning. Ren traversed the island in a small plastic dinghy. One of his dogs, Eason, fell ill after drinking dirty flood water, and died a few days later.

“Two years ago, we had a severe drought, and this year it’s been floods. I think we need to be prepared for anything,” Ren said.

Experiences like Ren’s are becoming more common in China, as global heating makes extreme weather events more likely, as well as undermining communities’ defences against those disasters.

Dongting Hu exemplifies these challenges. It was once China’s largest freshwater lake. But decades of agricultural development meant that huge swathes of its land were reclaimed for farming, reducing the lake’s storage capacity. Both droughts and floods are becoming more serious and severe.

At least six Chinese provinces experienced major flooding in 2024. As well as the floods in Hunan, heavy rainfall in Guangdong, China’s most populous province, forced more than 110,000 people to relocate. After years of treating weather disasters as isolated incidents that require a local response, Chinese officials are becoming increasingly aware of the need to adapt to extreme weather events on a national scale.

“The harsh reality is here: the lack of climate action will cost China and present a social security threat,” said Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

At the Cop29 UN climate crisis conference in November, China published an action plan for climate adaptation, vowing to establish a technical platform to monitor and forecast extreme weather events and to share its knowledge of improving early warning mechanisms.

It marked a shift the country which has long acknowledged the science of the climate crisis, but has focused its environmental cleanup efforts on issues such as air pollution – rather than severe but relatively rare floods and droughts.

“The Chinese leadership tends to see the long game,” Li said. “To demonstrate their far-sight and to prevent further risks, more should be done to prepare for the impacts of climate change systematically.”

For flooding victims like Ren, an official recognition of – and compensation for – the damage wrought by the climate crisis cannot come soon enough. The repair work cost him more than 70,000 yuan (£7,600), although the authorities did send some relief workers to help.

For now, Ren is developing his own ways to adapt to climate breakdown. He shuns electrical appliances after his were destroyed in the flood, and uses wood burners for cooking and heating. He plans to build a new home suspended in trees, so as to be safe from floods.

“I think extreme weather is more frequent now. So I have to be prepared for anything. If I like the place, I’ll stay.”

Additional research by Chi-hui Lin and Jason Tzu Kuan Lu

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China sets world record with ‘polar ready’ 58,000-tonne flat-top cargo ship

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3292163/china-sets-world-record-polar-ready-58000-tonne-flat-top-cargo-ship?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese self-propelled deck vessel with an unprecedented carrying capacity of 58,000 tonnes – making it the largest of its kind in the world – has been declared seaworthy after completing five days of trials on Sunday.

The flat-top cargo ship Fan Zhou 8 left the Taizhou Zhonghang Shipbuilding facility in Zhejiang province on Tuesday and returned to dock after “various professional sailing tests” in the waters east of Shanghai, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“The ship has strong seaworthiness, meets the requirements of the Polar Code, and can navigate in small drifting ice floes,” the report added.

The vessel is 256 metres long and 51 metres wide (840ft by 167ft) and has a range of 16,000 nautical miles (29,600km), with a maximum speed of over 15 knots (about 28km/h). The Shanghai to New York sea route is about 14,000 nautical miles, according to Ports.com.

The ship’s deck occupies most of the hull and is capable of transporting a wide range of cargo, including offshore oilfield, wind and nuclear power equipment, as well as large vessel steel structures or sections, CCTV said.

Chinese bloggers have compared the size of the deck to the Fujian, the country’s first domestically developed aircraft carrier, which is estimated to be about 300 metres long and 70 metres wide.

But it is unclear whether the vessel will be put to military or civilian use. The surface of the deck has been painted in civilian green and does not have any aircraft-related markings.

There has also been a blurring of the line between the two in recent years, with several instances of civilian vessels being deployed in military transport drills.

China’s shipbuilding industry accounted for some 59 per cent of global shipbuilding orders last year and has been eyeing a move up the value chain to offer higher-value-added vessels.

The world’s largest container ship, MSC Irina, was built in China for the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company. With a capacity of 24,346 twenty-foot equivalent units, the vessel is about 400 metres long and 51 metres wide.

The Chinese industry, which continued to leverage substantial state support and production capabilities, experienced about 18 per cent and 43 per cent year-on-year growth in output and orders in the first half of the year, according to official data.

The industry’s growth is expected to continue as global market demand increases and the Chinese military expands its naval capabilities, including the size of its fleets.

The latest deck vessel is not the first to be developed in China, where the industry has been experimenting with new kinds of ships in recent years, most notably the state-owned giant China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

CSSC subsidiary Comec’s deck vessel has a size and configurations that are similar to the PLA Navy’s Type 075 landing helicopter dock, but has three protruding island-like structures instead of two.

While the ship’s purpose remains unclear, Comec is focused on commercial vessels.

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China’s finance ministry vows measures to boost consumption and investment next year

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292151/chinas-finance-ministry-vows-measures-boost-consumption-and-investment-next-year?utm_source=rss_feed

The Ministry of Finance has vowed concerted efforts to expand domestic demand next year as well as more and quicker fiscal expenditure after Beijing elevated consumption to a top priority and pivoted to more active policies to revitalise the economy.

The ministry will “appropriately increase” pensions and medical insurance subsidies to underpin consumption growth and give more support to consumer goods trade-in schemes, according to a statement released after Tuesday’s conclusion of a ministry conference on next year’s work agenda. It said the ministry will also promote effective investment, issue new bonds and boost spending.

“In 2025, we will implement a more proactive policy combination for a higher fiscal deficit ratio, increase expenditure intensity and accelerate the speed of spending to drive investment and consumption,” Finance Minister Lan Foan said at the meeting.

Beijing has identified key tasks for next year to put the growth of the world’s second-largest economy back on track. On top of reviving consumption as a top target, the top leadership also stressed the need for more active fiscal policies, including raising the deficit ratio, at this month’s tone-setting central economic work conference.

While Beijing has also shifted its monetary policy stance for 2025 to “moderately loose”, some economists have called for the onus of economic policy boosts next year to be placed on the fiscal side.

Economist Tao Dong told a forum last week that the focus of China’s fiscal policy next year will shift from stimulating investment to stimulating spending and that more consumption-boosting fiscal policies are in the pipeline.

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that China plans to issue a record 3 trillion yuan (US$411 billion) of special treasury bonds next year to help boost consumption. The rise in new bond issuance, a sharp increase from 1 trillion yuan this year, is aimed at helping the economy mitigate potential impacts from tariffs and other external shocks, the Reuters report said.

The Ministry of Finance meeting also spelled out other work priorities, including enhancing the capabilities of national logistics hubs and strengthening supply chains, more fiscal backing for tech-focused start-ups and small- and medium-sized enterprises, and more aid to businesses facing difficulties. In a pledge to businesses, the ministry said it will resolutely prevent the imposition of arbitrary charges, fines and levies.

Support for employment and green transition efforts, as well as defusing local government debt and other risks, are also key agenda items for next year, it added.

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State Council guideline encourages private investment in China’s railways

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292140/state-council-guideline-encourages-private-investment-chinas-railways?utm_source=rss_feed

China is encouraging private sector participation in its railways as part of efforts to enhance the integration and openness of the transport industry amid a logistical revamp aimed at improving supply chain efficiency.

According to a guideline released by the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Monday, the world’s second-largest economy plans to reform natural monopolies in the transport sector – caused by high infrastructure costs and barriers to entry – by diversifying the range of service providers and fostering moderate market competition.

The investment of private capital in railway construction and operations will be encouraged, and locally controlled railway companies will be granted autonomy to determine their operational models.

Financial institutions and private investors will also be encouraged to fund the construction of transport infrastructure and establish investment funds for the sector.

The guideline follows the release of a seven-part action plan by the State Council late last month that aims to create a “unified, efficient and well-ordered logistics market” by reducing logistics costs from 14.4 per cent of gross domestic product last year to 13.5 per cent by 2027.

The ultimate goal is to achieve savings of over 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) in the logistics chain, which would help strengthen China’s manufacturing industries and reinforce the chain’s role in driving domestic demand amid heightened external uncertainties.

As part of the country’s efforts to improve its logistics industry, the latest guideline stresses the need for market openness through the adoption of transparent pricing, the elimination of regional barriers, and equal treatment of all businesses.

It called for strengthened policies to support private enterprises, small and micro-sized businesses, and individual entrepreneurs, ensuring fair access to licences, operations, government procurement and bidding.

The guideline also advocates alignment with high-standard international trade rules and encourages institutional innovation to improve openness of the transport sector in qualified free-trade zones and ports.

It also gives priority to the management of low-altitude airspace, calling for active promotion of the low-altitude economy, and the expansion of general aviation to improve the overall transport system.

“A unified and open transport market is a critical foundation for effectively aligning supply with demand and ensuring and facilitating the smooth circulation of the national economy,” it said.

Foxconn invests in EV battery plant in China to diversify business beyond Apple’s iPhones

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3292148/foxconn-invests-ev-battery-plant-china-diversify-business-beyond-apples-iphones?utm_source=rss_feed

Major Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group is injecting 600 million yuan (US$82 million) into a new electric-vehicle (EV) battery plant in Zhengzhou, capital of central Chinese province Henan, where it runs the world’s largest iPhone factory.

The company, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, on Monday announced its “long-term investment” in Foxconn New Energy Battery (Zhengzhou), which was established in October, according to a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

The initial capital injection of 350 million yuan was made through Foxconn New Business Development Group, which fully owns the battery unit, it said.

The move marks the latest step by the Taiwanese giant to diversify its revenue sources with forays into EVs, semiconductors and robotics. It established the Foxconn New Business Development Group in Zhengzhou in June last year, with 1 billion yuan in registered capital, to conduct business in EV sales and battery production.

A 70,000-square-metre headquarters for the new business is under construction in the city.

Foxconn reaffirmed its commitment to Zhengzhou after its iPhone production there suffered major disruptions late in 2022, when a Covid-19 outbreak led to an exodus of factory workers. The debacle caused shipment delays for Apple during the most important time of the year for its business, prompting the Cupertino, California-based giant to accelerate the shift of some production outside China to areas including India and Vietnam.

On a visit to Zhengzhou in July this year, Foxconn chairman Liu Young-way said the company “attaches great importance to cooperation with Henan” and promised to “continuously be deeply rooted” in the province. That month, the company broke ground on a “trial manufacturing centre” for EVs in Zhengzhou.

Still, Foxconn has been investing in production globally outside mainland China. Its EV factory footprint includes a facility in the US state of Ohio that the company acquired from Lordstown Motors in 2022.

To date, Foxconn has released several EV models, including the Model D multipurpose utility vehicle, the mid-sized electric bus Model U and the Model C family SUV. Jun Seki, head of Foxconn’s EV business, said in an interview with Bloomberg in October that the company aimed to secure a 5 per cent share of global EV manufacturing by next year.

China’s CATL launches EV chassis that can withstand high-speed crash

https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3292156/chinas-catl-launches-ev-chassis-can-withstand-high-speed-crash?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker, on Tuesday launched a new electric vehicle chassis that it says can withstand a 120km/h (75mph) frontal impact without catching fire or exploding, as it touts safety as a key selling point.

The chassis has a battery capable of running for about 1,000km on a single charge and reduces the time required for mass production of a vehicle to 12-18 months from the traditional 36 months or longer, CATL said.

The company aims to sell the new EV platform – called “panshi” in Chinese, which translates to “bedrock” – to premium carmakers seeking to accelerate development and reduce costs.

“Due to the extremely high crash speed and intensity, there has been no previous instance of any new energy vehicle daring to challenge a 120km/h frontal pole impact test,” said Ni Jun, CATL’s chief manufacturing officer.

The speed for a frontal impact safety test in the commonly used China New Car Assessment Program is 56kph.

Chinese EV brand Avatr, which is co-owned by CATL, state-owned Changan Auto and technology giant Huawei, will be the first to develop EV models based on CATL’s Bedrock chassis, Chen Zhao, president of Avatr said at the press conference.

He did not specify when such a model would be launched.

Such EV platforms are also known in the industry as “skateboard chassis”, or flexible platforms that combine electric motors, batteries, controls and suspensions.

Other players in this area include Chinese EV maker Xpeng and Shanghai-based engineering firm Launch Design.

The chassis is crucial to CATL chairman Robin Zeng’s ambitions to push the Chinese battery giant towards further growth. Besides this, CATL is also looking into micro power grids and is building a battery swapping service.

CATL has a global market share of roughly 37 per cent in EV batteries, according to battery market tracker SNE Research.

Zeng disclosed the panshi project to Reuters in November, saying it could slash the cost of developing a new EV from billions of dollars to just US$10 million and could make a niche EV firm profitable by selling just 10,000 cars a year.

This in turn could open the industry to new EV players in economies without established carmakers, and Zeng said at the time that CATL had shown the panshi technology to Porsche for a potential luxury EV and to investors in the United Arab Emirates eager to start a local EV brand.

The company has been working on developing EV platforms with battery integrated to the chassis directly since 2020 and has formed partnerships with carmakers including VinFast, BAIC and Neta to develop models based on the platform over the past two years.

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Ukraine war: Zelensky thanks China for supporting territorial integrity

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3292169/ukraine-war-zelensky-thanks-china-supporting-territorial-integrity?utm_source=rss_feed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked China for supporting his country’s territorial integrity and emphasised the two nations’ improving bilateral relations amid China’s intensified efforts to mediate peace.

Zelensky delivered the remarks when accepting a letter of credence from China’s ambassador Ma Shengkun on Monday, according to a statement from the president’s office.

“Before the war Ukraine and China had a large volume of trade. Of course, we want it to be restored and our relations to be stronger in more areas,” Zelensky said.

Ma, who arrived in Kyiv last month, said he had full confidence in deeper bilateral ties.

The Ukrainian president also addressed North Korea’s involvement in Ukraine war and urged China to leverage its influence and “a strong voice”.

Since October, Pyongyang has reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia in the war, including in the Kursk border region, although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has directly confirmed reports that North Korean soldiers are taking part in the conflict.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the war.

As the Ukraine war escalates, China has continuously positioned itself as a peacemaker and presented a neutral stance in the conflict.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the “Friends for Peace” group, a platform designed to end the Ukraine war that was set up on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, met last week, joined by the representatives of 17 countries.

The meeting urged support for a comprehensive and lasting settlement by the parties to the conflict through diplomacy and political means, Mao said.

In May, China partnered with Brazil to pitch a six-point peace plan that called on both Russia and Ukraine to avoid an “escalation of hostilities” and “provocations”, and to hold direct dialogue and a push for de-escalation until a ceasefire is agreed.

Zelensky has said he is open to the peace efforts led by China and Brazil, but rejected the six-point plan as “destructive”.

China and Brazil sought to push the plan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying he hoped the international community could assemble a conference with a “fair discussion” of all proposals.

At the UN meeting, Zelensky warned that proposing “alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles” would provide Moscow with the political space to continue waging war.

Diplomatic engagement between Ukraine and China has gained momentum in recent months. In July, then Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China to meet Wang, the first high-level visit since the invasion began in February 2022.

The two spoke about Ukraine’s path to peace for several hours, signalling that both Beijing and Kyiv were interested in engaging in diplomatic relations to discuss the conflict.

Then, on the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting in New York, Wang and Andrii Sybiha, Kuleba’s successor, discussed further contact at the highest level, according to Kuleba.

Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, has conducted four rounds of shuttle diplomacy but is yet to produce concrete results.

Meanwhile, China is seen as increasingly strengthening relations with Moscow with frequent visits by high-level officials, including state heads, and boosting its military ties with Russia.

While Beijing has denied aiding Moscow’s war effort, the United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Chinese companies accused of supplying Moscow with goods that could be used for military purposes.

China is a “top provider of machine tools, microelectronics and other items” that empower Russia’s defence base, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the UN meeting in September.

Who is Jolin Zhu? Young Chinese woman, sixth wife of 80-year-old billionaire Oracle founder

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3292129/who-jolin-zhu-young-chinese-woman-sixth-wife-80-year-old-billionaire-oracle-founder?utm_source=rss_feed

Gossip about the world’s fourth richest man and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison’s new wife, Chinese native Jolin Zhu, emerged on mainland social media after her identity was revealed.

On November 23, the University of Michigan’s booster group, known as Champions Circle, published a post online announcing their success in securing a multi-million-dollar deal with the star quarterback Bryce Underwood for its school football team.

In the announcement it thanked “Larry and his wife Jolin” who provided “invaluable guidance and financial resources”, and stated that Jolin is a Michigan alumni.

Larry Ellison, chairman and co-founder of software giant Oracle Corporation, had not publicly announced Jolin’s identity as his wife, despite having been spotted watching sports games together with her many times since 2018, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Jolin Zhu, whose original Chinese name is Zhu Keren, remained mysterious before and after the revelation.

The 33-year-old Chinese native, who is 47 years younger than Ellison, was reported to have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Michigan in 2012.

Gossip on mainland social media platforms pieced together her teenage life via revelations from users who claimed to be her acquaintance.

Zhu studied at Northeast Yucai Foreign Language School, in northeastern China’s Liaoning province, during her junior secondary school years.

The school was co-founded by the prestigious Northeast Yucai School and Japan’s Kansai Language School in 1998, and boasted its foreign language education that enabled students to be admitted by overseas universities.

Zhu did not go to the senior department of her secondary school as many of her schoolmates did, but instead went to Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Massachusetts, a move considered by Chinese online observers as an indicator of her family’s wealth.

Unverified sources shared contesting information about Zhu’s family background.

One said her father is the CEO of a Liaoning medical device company with family assets that “easily exceed 100 million yuan”. Others said her family was from an “average middle-class” background.

Online observers called Zhu “the next Wendi Deng”, the ex-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a nod to the distinct Chinese millennial nature of her unconventional English name.

“Jolin”, is a reminder of Taiwanese pop singer Jolin Tsai.

Other netizens have expressed wonder that Zhu and Ellison had “couple face”, a traditional Chinese saying meaning that the wife and husband look alike.

It is unknown how Zhu met Ellison, but she was reported to have briefly lived in a rented flat in Redwood Shores, where Oracle was based before 2020, following her graduation.

She is Ellison’s sixth wife. The 80-year-old was reported to have separated with his fifth wife, Nikita Kahn, in 2016 and finalised their divorce in 2020.

Ellison is a famous fan of Japanese culture. He even modelled one of his properties after a 16th-century Japanese emperor’s palace.

Zhu, now a US citizen, is registered to vote from the same address as Ellison - a vast 33-bedroom, 38-bathroom estate in Florida.

China names Chen Hui to lead PLA ground force political work amid personnel shake-up

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3292178/china-names-chen-hui-lead-pla-ground-force-political-work-amid-personnel-shake?utm_source=rss_feed

China has promoted a long-time airforce officer, Chen Hui, to the rank of general, confirming him as the new army political commissar, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua on Monday.

Chen has replaced Qin Shutong, 61, whose appointment as the army political commissar was made public in January 2022. Qin’s whereabouts are unknown.

In China, a political commissar is a military official in charge of ideology, political education and ensuring unit morale.

The appointment comes amid a slew of personnel changes within the People’s Liberation Army, with the latest being Miao Hua, a member of the powerful Central Military Commission and the director of its political work department, who was placed under investigation for corruption in November.

Qin’s 2022 promotion happened while Miao was the head of the political work department, which is in charge of military personnel changes.

A promotion ceremony was held for Chen on Monday. It was the first such ceremony since Miao’s downfall last month.

Chen, 61, served in the Chinese air force for at least two decades, according to public records.

Chen’s last role was political commissar of the space systems department of the PLA’s Strategic Support Force – a position he filled in 2021.

He graduated with a degree in radio communication from Hebei University of Technology in 1983, according to a report on the university’s website from 2013.

He took part in earthquake relief and rescue missions in Sichuan province in 2008 while serving in an airforce unit, according to Chinese media reports.

In 2010, he was appointed deputy political commissar at the PLA Air Force Command College in Beijing.

In 2016, he was named secretary of the discipline inspection commission of the Southern Theatre Command Air Force in Guangzhou.

In 2020, he was promoted to secretary of discipline and inspection under the PLA Air Force.

Chen’s appointment comes as several senior PLA officers have been taken down by corruption charges amid a larger anti-graft drive.

In September, it was announced that Deng Zhiping, a deputy commander of China’s army, had been stripped of his lawmaker status at the National People’s Congress (NPC).

Deng, 60, was last seen in public in March when he attended the annual NPC session. A notice issued by the NPC Standing Committee said he was suspected of “serious violations of laws and discipline”, a phrase that usually refers to corruption.

Deng was once hailed as a war hero during China’s border clashes with Vietnam in the 1970s and 80s.

Beijing also placed two of its former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, under investigation in June.

Wei served in the role from 2018 to 2023, while Li was promoted to the job in March 2023 and sacked in October of the same year after vanishing from the public eye, becoming the country’s shortest-serving defence minister.

Both Li and Wei are expected to face indictments in their corruption cases.

Since last year, eight senior officers have been dismissed from the PLA rocket force, which oversees the country’s nuclear arsenal.

China’s small businesses gasp for air as consumption slump deepens

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292089/chinas-small-businesses-gasp-air-consumption-slump-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed

Two years ago, as China began to roll back its pandemic restrictions, Ella Chen spotted a tasty opportunity. Having lost her office job, she took the bold decision to go into business herself – investing more than 100,000 yuan (US$13,800) to open a milk tea shop in Guangzhou.

Since then, Chen has poured her heart into making the business a success. She works 13 hours a day, can make 30 kinds of tea drinks, and has saved on rent by opening in a residential neighbourhood rather than the downtown business district.

But, like many small-business owners in China, Chen is still struggling to make ends meet. Consumption has not recovered as expected since the pandemic – instead, growth has slowed. And that is forcing companies nationwide to scale back operations or even shut down.

“In the beginning, daily profits were over 200 yuan. Now they’re often less than 100 yuan,” Chen said. “Those regular customers who used to buy a 15-yuan milk tea on weekends or evenings have gradually disappeared. They still pass by my store, they just rarely make a purchase.”

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have long been the backbone of China’s private economy in terms of job creation, providing 300 to 400 million roles, but the sector is now facing a raft of severe challenges amid a wider economic slowdown.

Insufficient demand, high tax burdens, and rising labour and utility costs are just some of the issues facing MSEs, with the situation deteriorating further in recent months, according to a nationwide survey of 7,500 MSE operators by Peking University’s Centre for Enterprise Research.

In the third quarter of this year, MSEs generated average revenues of 136,000 yuan, down 4.6 per cent year on year, with an average net profit margin of 4.7 per cent, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous year, the survey showed.

More than half (51.3%) of the respondents cited lack of demand as their primary business pressure, up 2.6 percentage points from the previous quarter, reflecting a deepening slump in consumption.

Many MSEs have had to adopt cost-cutting measures to survive, reducing hiring, downsizing operations, and relocating to areas with lower rents. The average number of employees per MSE fell to 3.9 in the third quarter, down from 4.7 in the first quarter, according to Peking University’s report.

But these moves are further exacerbating China’s economic problems, dragging down the employment rate, income growth, and rent and property prices.

Liu Pin, who owns the hair salon next to Chen’s milk tea shop, is also struggling to keep his head above water.

For more than a decade, Liu and his wife ran the salon together: He focused on cutting hair while his wife handled the dyeing and washing. But things have changed this year as a consumption downgrade has swept through the Chinese economy.

Three budget salons have opened within a kilometre radius, charging just 25 yuan (US$3.40) for a haircut. Liu has lowered his prices in response, but he is still struggling to attract customers.

Money has got so tight that Liu’s wife has had to take a job as a temporary worker at a nearby hospital, where she earns about 4,000 yuan a month, leaving Liu to run the salon alone.

The government has been trying to ease the pressure on small-business owners like Liu by reducing their tax burden, but these efforts appear to be having little effect so far.

Official reports state that MSEs had their taxes and fees cut by 946.1 billion yuan from January to September 2024. But this does not appear to have registered with businesses.

In Peking University’s latest survey, the subjective tax burden index for MSEs was 53.6, above the 50-point mark, meaning that most respondents felt tax burdens were rising rather than falling.

Meanwhile, 10.3 per cent of MSEs said they considered taxes and fees to be the main business pressure they were facing, up 1.3 percentage points from the same period last year.

Though fewer MSEs reported having accounts receivable than in the past, the problem of delayed payments from government entities and state-owned enterprises has worsened in recent months.

In the third quarter, 69.2 per cent of MSE operators reported having accounts receivable, down from 75.1 per cent in the previous quarter. However, 10.9 per cent of respondents said they were owed payments by governments or SOEs, up from 9.4 per cent in the second quarter and 8.1 per cent in the first quarter.

For China, the struggles of MSEs threaten to create a negative feedback loop that makes life even tougher for working-class households, experts said.

“The sales [outlooks] of MSEs are not optimistic, which directly affects low-income groups in the cities,” said David Wong, a lecturer in the Department of Management at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.

“We have also seen many migrant workers leave the industrial zones and return home early. That means consumption by the low- and middle-income groups is expected to continue to decline between the end of the year and the coming Chinese New Year,” Wong added.

Though the proportion of MSEs with accounts receivable has dropped slightly in recent months, many still face liquidity pressure, according to Wong.

“Moreover, the unemployment rate for young people aged 16 to 24 remains high, and working parents have to support their children for a longer period of time,” he said. “These problems combined have put MSEs in a difficult situation.”

The Chinese government has already introduced a series of stimulus measures to pull the economy out of its negative spiral, ramping up infrastructure investment, distributing consumption vouchers, and launching trade-in schemes for big-ticket items such as cars and domestic appliances.

But Chen doubts that small consumer-facing businesses like hers will benefit much from the schemes announced so far.

“What we need are ordinary wage earners – our main customers – who have stable incomes,” she said. “Only then will they come to spend.”

Last month, a junior high school student who frequents Chen’s shop told her that she loved her tea, but that she wouldn’t be able to visit for a while because both of her parents had lost their jobs. “The news broke my heart,” Chen said.

Unless things improve, Chen may soon have to shut down her store and begin selling goods on the street to save on rent. “But then I won’t be able to keep my children safely close by,” she said. “That’s very distressing for me.”

Philippine army wants to buy Typhon system, China slams ‘extremely irresponsible choice’

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292074/philippine-army-wants-buy-typhon-system-china-slams-extremely-irresponsible-choice?utm_source=rss_feed

The Philippine army said on Monday that it planned to acquire the Typhon missile system as the weapon could be deployed to expand the country’s defence perimeter, even as concerns linger over its modernisation programme being weighed down by budget cuts.

Lieutenant General Roy Galido, the army’s commanding general, confirmed the plan during his year-end media briefing.

The decision arose after the Typhon was adapted from a ship-based to a land-based platform and tested during the Balikatan multilateral military exercises from April to May this year, Galido said.

“There are negotiations [to acquire the Typhon] because we see its visibility and adaptability,” he added

The use of defence platforms such as the Typhon would be in line with the army’s role in the country’s new Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence (CAD) strategy, which calls for a shift towards protecting the Philippines’ maritime borders, according to Galido.

He said the Typhon could help protect the country’s “floating assets” of up to 200 nautical miles (370.4km) from the country’s shores within its exclusive economic zone.

The system, however, can deliver missiles further than Galido’s assessment. It can launch the Raytheon Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) to hit targets of up to 500km and Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles with a range of up to 1,600km.

Galido said he hoped the Typhon could be acquired soon given the system would help the army protect the country’s sovereignty, without specifying a timeline. He did not mention whether the Philippine government could afford to buy the system.

On September 20 Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr told lawmakers that next year’s budget for the Philippine military’s modernisation programme did not include an allocation to buy the Typhon.

The military recently suffered another setback after the proposed funding of 50 billion pesos (US$853.7 million) for its modernisation next year was further slashed this month to 35 billion pesos by Congress.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr told reporters on December 20 that the military was “concerned” about the cuts.

“We have full trust in our system. Of course, we are concerned about the budget, but we trust the system,” he said.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manuel Mogato, who has covered defence and security for more than 30 years, told This Week in Asia that the army’s acquisition of the Typhon launch system was “wishful thinking”.

He explained that first, this was very expensive and second, it has not been made commercially available since it was launched by Lockheed Martin and adopted by the US Army in 2023.

A government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Galido would not just wait for further developments and instead would be prepared to explore other avenues to address the Typhon budget issue. Galido flew to the Pentagon in Virginia and met with US officials last month, indicating he might have something up his sleeve, according to the source.

A post on the Philippine army website confirms Galido’s meeting with Brigadier General Roy Derilo, the US army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology and other US army officers. The two sides “discussed the US army’s planned assistance to bolster Philippine Army facilities and capabilities”, the post says.

The words “planned assistance” can mean many things, the source hinted, but declined to elaborate.

Beijing has strongly objected to the presence of the Typhon missile system in the Philippines. In response to Galido’s statements, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that the deployment of the system by the Philippines would intensify geopolitical confrontation and an arms race.

“It is an extremely irresponsible choice for the history and people of itself and the whole of Southeast Asia, as well as for the security of the region,” she said.

In August, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo that Beijing had “very dramatic” concerns about the “destabilising” presence of the Typhon.

In response, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told reporters on September 24 that Beijing was interfering in Manila’s internal affairs.

“They are using reverse psychology in order to deter us from building up our defensive capabilities,” Teodoro said.

“Before they start talking, why don’t they lead by example? Destroy their nuclear arsenal, remove all their ballistic missile capabilities, get out of the West Philippine Sea and get out of Mischief Reef. Don’t throw stones when you live in a glass house.”

Meanwhile, Galido also gave an update on the Philippine army’s fight against the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of a decades-long communist insurgency.

He said with the NPA “weakened” and its strength having shrunk to around 1,100 fighters, the army could focus on repurposing civilian militias to help in the country’s external defence.

Meanwhile, Galido also gave an update on the Philippine army’s fight against the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of a decades-long communist insurgency, and expressed confidence it could no longer stage an attack to mark its 56th founding anniversary on December 26.

Earlier on December 10, he said with the NPA “weakened” and its strength having shrunk to around 1,100 fighters, the army could focus on repurposing civilian militias to help in the country’s external defence.

The rebels, however, countered on its Philippine Revolution Web Central that the military’s announcement of one “weakened” front remaining was premature. They claimed that government forces continued operations against the Reds in the remote villages of 27 provinces, including President Ferdinand Marcos, Jnr’ home province of Ilocos Norte.

Additional reporting by Associated Press

China wife sets sex worker trap for sham husband in bid to divorce him, pocket bride price

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3291386/china-wife-sets-sex-worker-trap-sham-husband-bid-divorce-him-pocket-bride-price?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman and her accomplices in China have been handed jail terms after they set a visiting-a-prostitute trap for her husband.

According to the crime ring’s meticulously planned marriage scam, if the groom was detained for doing so, the woman could file a divorce and would not be required to return the bride price.

In China, the bride price is given by the man prior to their marriage as a traditional wedding ritual.

However, the vigilant groom did not fall into the trap and called in the police, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

The case was heard earlier this month by a court in Longli county, Guizhou province, southwestern China.

The woman, surnamed Xiong, and her boyfriend, surnamed Li, were in debt at the beginning of this year.

They befriended two men online, identified by the surnames Zhou and Song who said they could help secure loans.

While meeting in person he two men said their solution was, in fact, a marriage fraud.

They said a groom in the region usually offers a bride price of more than 100,000 yuan (US$13,700), which he would lose for god if he was caught visiting a prostitute.

“I was afraid and I did not dare to join their scheme,” Xiong told the court.

“But they kept on persuading me that I can divorce smoothly and I do not need to return the money. My boyfriend also asked me not to panic. So I agreed to follow their plan,” she added.

Xiong then met a man, surnamed Bao, at a matchmaking agency and days later, they registered their marriage at a civil affairs authority in the county.

Bao gave Xiong 136,666 yuan as the bride price before taking her to his hometown in eastern Jiangsu province to hold the wedding ceremony. He also spent 48,000 yuan (US$6,600) on jewellery for her.

A week later, they returned to Longli county in Guizhou. At a dinner with Li who posed as Xiong’s cousin, Xiong left the restaurant to leave Li to chat with Bao alone.

As Li tried to entice Bao, who was already suspicious because Li refused to sleep with him, to visit a prostitute, he called the police.

The court sentenced Xiong, Li, Zhou and Song to jail for fraud.

Their terms ranged from three years to three years and 10 months and they were ordered to pay 20,000-30,000 yuan (US$2,700-US$4,100) each to Bao to compensate for his financial loss.

Another man employed by the matchmaking agency, was also arrested for participating in the racket because he introduced Bao to Xiong and fabricated her personal information.

The court has yet to decide his fate.

Chinese court delivers suspended death sentence for SUV primary school attack

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3292111/chinese-court-delivers-suspended-death-sentence-suv-primary-school-attack?utm_source=rss_feed

The man who drove into a group of parents and school kids in China’s central Hunan province in November has been handed a suspended death sentence just one month after the incident.

The announcement on Monday included confirmation of Huang Wen’s motivation when his white SUV rammed into the group outside a primary school injuring 30, including 18 children, at around 7.37am on November 19.

The speed of the judgment was notably rare and comes amid rising public safety concerns after a spate of violent episodes in China this year. It is also unusual for motivation to be included in the short notices which appear after such cases.

According to a notice published by the Changde Intermediate People’s Court on Monday, Huang, 39, was sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve, and deprived of political rights for life, for his reckless act.

The court found that he was “seeking to vent his personal emotions due to investment losses and family disputes” when he carried out the attack, “accelerating and continuously ramming into a crowd of elementary school students and others”.

When his car stalled, Huang got out of the vehicle and continued his attack with a weapon. Seven individuals were seriously wounded, 16 had moderate injuries and a further seven sustained minor injuries, among them 18 schoolchildren, it said.

The court described Huang’s actions – deliberately choosing a crowded time and place to unleash the assault – as heinous, noting his choice of innocent children as primary targets and the severe emotional and psychological trauma inflicted upon the victims.

“[He] targeted a large and unspecified number of innocent elementary school students as his primary victims, driven by despicable motives and exhibiting a profound degree of malice,” the court ruled.

“He chose a location with a high concentration of people and a peak time when students were arriving at school, deliberately driving his vehicle into the crowd in an extremely malicious manner.”

In its ruling, the court also highlighted the social impact of Huang’s criminal acts, which “inflicted psychological trauma on the victims, schoolchildren and surrounding community”.

“This severely endangered public safety, disrupted social order, and had a profoundly negative impact on society, warranting legal punishment,” the court said, explaining its decision.

Legal experts in China have repeatedly highlighted the need to promptly disclose the intentions behind crimes of this nature – which are still relatively rare – to reassure the public.

It is more common in the Chinese legal system for such revelations to unfold gradually during the judicial process. Motivation has rarely been revealed – nor in such a timely manner – in previous cases.

Also in November, an SUV crashed into a crowd of people exercising outside a stadium in Zhuhai, in the southern province of Guangdong, killing 35 and injuring 43.

The 52-year-old suspect, surnamed Fan, attempted to kill himself with a knife and was hospitalised, police said. Authorities later reported that he was unhappy about property division in his divorce, but there have been no updates on his condition.

In October, five people, including three children, were stabbed near a primary school in Beijing’s Haidian district. Earlier, in the southern city of Guangzhou, a 60-year-old suspect was detained after injuring three people, including two students, near a school.

No details have been revealed about the suspect’s motivation in any of these cases, nor in the knife attack which occurred in May at a primary school in Jiangxi province, resulting in two deaths and 10 injuries.

In response to the incidents, Chinese authorities have taken steps to bolster security, urging officials to maintain social stability, and called for grass roots conflict resolution measures to protect citizens’ safety.

Luckin Coffee’s entry into Hong Kong a sign of mainland Chinese brands’ growing dominance

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3291984/luckin-coffees-entry-hong-kong-sign-mainland-chinese-brands-growing-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed

Mainland Chinese brands are ramping up their presence in Hong Kong, using the city to test the waters before foraying overseas, according to analysts.

The debut of Luckin Coffee, which bills itself as the “Starbucks of China” for having the most number of outlets on the mainland, is a sign of things to come for Hong Kong’s retail segment, they said.

Luckin recently opened its first branch at Mira Place in Tsim Sha Tsui, marking its entry into a market that is currently dominated by Starbucks, the US coffee chain. The Chinese coffee chain is set to open another outlet in Tseung Kwan O, according to local media reports.

“We foresee mainland brands continuing their interest to expand to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and even European markets,” said Lawrence Wan, head of advisory and transaction services for retail at CBRE Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong would be an interesting and strategic market for these mainland brands, especially when high street shop rents have fallen significantly from a peak over the past few years.”

Hong Kong’s retail sales declined for the eighth consecutive month in October, dropping 2.9 per cent year on year, according to government data. Retail sales in the first 10 months of the year fell 7.1 per cent to about HK$312.3 billion (US$40.2 billion), compared with the same period in 2023.

Amid the overall gloom in Hong Kong’s retail industry, the food and beverage segment has shown some resilience. In October, food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco products not sold in supermarkets eked out 0.3 per cent growth to about HK$3.1 billion, according to the latest official data.

The F&B segment is likely to remain one of the major leasing drivers next year, Wan said.

Hong Kong’s market for specialist coffee and tea shops is projected to grow 5.5 per cent to slightly more than HK$3 billion next year and 5.3 per cent to HK$3.17 billion by 2026, according to data provider Euromonitor International. Per capita consumption for the segment is also set to increase by 5.2 per cent to HK$399.50 in 2025 and 5.1 per cent to HK$420 in 2026, it added.

In the past few months, Shenzhen-based craft beer maker RichKat Craft Brewing dipped its toes in the market, while Shanghai-based children and infant apparel retailer Balabala has expanded further after negotiating significant leasing discounts with landlords.

RichKat opened two pubs in Hong Kong – in Central and Sheung Wan. Balabala said that it had secured premium spots in Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai and some other locations, after landlords reduced rents by as much as 20 per cent compared with 2018, when it opened its first store in Hong Kong.

Rents of high street shops and prime shopping centres are estimated to fall by as much as 5 per cent in 2025, according to JLL. High street shop rents rose 1.3 per cent this year, while they fell 2.3 per cent in premium malls, according to preliminary estimates by the property consultancy.

“The entry of Luckin in Hong Kong is seen as part of its international expansion to widen its consumer base,” said Nathanael Lim, insights manager for beverages at Euromonitor.

“Features such as price affordability, innovative coffee flavours and convenient ordering through its mobile app serve to attract consumers.”

But he cautioned Luckin’s success was not guaranteed as the coffee shop market in Hong Kong is saturated with similar offerings. “In the long term, continuous product innovation, localisation and establishing partnerships with local players are critical for Luckin to thrive in overseas markets.”

With residents increasingly spending across the border to extend the value of their dollar, Lim said it is crucial Luckin considers its pricing carefully as it is among the main factors that will determine its success in Hong Kong.

Consumers worry about cost and expect added value from purchases, he said, citing Euromonitor’s Global Consumer Trends 2025 report.

This certainly applies to the Hong Kong market and this means consumers plan to put more money aside for savings as purchasing decisions become strategic and intentional, Lim said.

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What is neijuan, and why is China worried about it?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/24/what-is-neijuan-china-viral-buzzword-laptop-bicycle

On the Chinese internet, the country’s current predicament – slowing economic growth, a falling birthrate, a meagre social safety net, increasing isolation on the world stage – is often expressed through buzzwords. There is tangping, or “lying flat”, a term used to describe the young generation of Chinese who are choosing to chill out rather than hustle in China’s high-pressure economy. There is runxue, or “run philosophy”, which refers to the determination of large numbers of people to emigrate. Recently, “revenge against society” attacks – random incidents of violence that have claimed dozens of lives – have sparked particular concern. And there is also neijuan, or “involution”, a term used to describe the feeling of diminishing returns in China’s social contract.

What is neijuan?

Neijuan is the Chinese term for “involution”, a concept from sociology that refers to a society that can no longer evolve, no matter how hard it tries. Applied to the individual, it means that no matter how hard someone works, progress is impossible.

In China, the term has been used to describe the feeling of diminishing returns in China’s economy. The characters “nei” and “juan” literally mean rolling inwards. After decades of rapid growth, many Chinese millennials and Gen Z people feel that the opportunities that were available to their parents no longer exist, and that working hard no longer offers guaranteed rewards.

Is China worried about neijuan?

Yes. China’s leaders have made it clear that they don’t want the idea of neijuan to catch on more than it already has. In December, top economic policymakers gathered for the annual Central Economic Work Conference, which sets the national economic agenda. According to the readout of the closed-door meeting, the cadres pledged to “rectify ‘involutionary’ competition”. And speaking at Davos in June, China’s premier, Li Qiang, warned against “spiralling ‘involution’” in the world economy.

Who is affected by it?

It’s primarily a concept among millennials and generation Z. The latter group has been hit hard by China’s economic difficulties. Youth unemployment hit a record 21.3% in June 2023, after which the government stopped publishing the data. It has since resumed publishing the statistics with a revised methodology. The latest data shows that the jobless rate for urban 16-24-year-olds is 17.1%.

Neijuan is also increasingly used to describe certain industries. China is investing massively in what it calls “new quality productive forces”, which means focusing more on research and manufacturing in certain hi-tech sectors, such as solar, electric vehicles and batteries. But overproduction, coupled with sanctions from the US and other western markets, has led to a price war in some sectors, hurting their profitability.

What are its origins?

Although the term has been around for decades in academic circles, it went viral on China’s internet in 2020. A student from Tsinghua University, one of China’s most elite schools, was filmed riding his bicycle with his laptop open, propped up on the handlebars. Soon he was crowned as “Tsinghua’s involuted king”, and a meme was born.

The meme of the involuted king came to represent the perhaps pointlessly intense pressure of China’s rat race, and the impossibility of catching a break. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many people felt physically as well as economically trapped.

The term was particularly popular in China’s hyper-competitive tech industry. Despite a workforce that is more educated than any previous generation, many graduates have found it difficult to find jobs in profitable sectors. This became even more of a problem when the Chinese government announced its “double reduction” policy in 2021. Designed to ease the pressure on school students, the policy banned for-profit online and offline tutoring, torpedoing a sector that had previously been a major employer of young graduates. One study suggested that 10 million people lost their jobs as a result of the policy.

Chinese EV industry’s lithium demand fuels research into ‘low-quality’ sources

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3291352/chinese-ev-industrys-lithium-demand-fuels-research-low-quality-sources?utm_source=rss_feed

As demand for the lithium that powers China’s booming electric car industry continues to grow and shortages loom, scientists are exploring ways to extract the metal from abundant but so far undeveloped sources.

In a paper published by the peer-reviewed journal Nature on December 11, engineers from Nanjing University assessed the potential of innovations that are being developed to extract lithium from “low-quality brines” like seawater and salt lakes.

The metal – a crucial component in EV batteries – is also present in water found in oilfields and in sedimentary deposits but extraction from these sources has not been viable so far.

“Extracting lithium from these sources presents technical challenges owing to low lithium concentrations and high magnesium-to-lithium ratios,” the researchers said in the paper.

While China is the world’s largest refiner of lithium, it is mostly derived from the highly concentrated brine found beneath the salt flats of South America or from hard rock ores which are abundant in countries like Zimbabwe in southern Africa.

To meet domestic demand for the lithium ores, Chinese mining companies have established extraction and processing operations in Zimbabwe.

China dominates global production of lithium-ion batteries, producing 77 per cent of the world’s electric vehicle batteries. Its dominance in the EV sector has prompted tariffs and restrictions in the US and Europe due to fears of overcapacity.

In 2023, combined exports of Chinese lithium batteries – including solar and electric vehicles batteries – topped 1 trillion yuan (US$139 billion).

Despite other emerging technologies like sodium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, the Chinese researchers said that lithium-ion batteries are expected to continue their dominance for the near future because of their efficiency and energy density.

Rising demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies mean existing supplies of lithium may become insufficient as early as 2029, according to the paper.

“Under current scenarios, the projected demand for the battery sector alone could exhaust 74 to 248 per cent of existing lithium reserves by 2050,” the researchers wrote.

Current methods of obtaining lithium also present challenges, including high energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, land disturbance, habitat loss, and depletion of groundwater, they noted.

According to the team’s analysis, while lithium can be recycled effectively it will not be enough to meet future needs, making it crucial to explore new avenues for lithium extraction.

The researchers coined the term “low-quality brine” – defined as holding less than 0.26 grams per litre of lithium, or having a magnesium to lithium ratio higher than 6.15 – for the focus of their study.

At these levels, conventional extraction methods are inefficient because of the lower concentration of lithium as well as the potential for the co-extraction of other elements.

Conventional methods involve evaporating water to concentrate the lithium, before adding in chemicals that will help to extract the metal while leaving behind unwanted ions.

The Chinese team examined the recent progress that has been made in China and internationally as researchers look for ways to work with low quality brines, including by developing pre-concentration methods for easier processing and direct extraction.

One pathway that they studied being explored by a research team from the Chengdu University of Technology is to remove more magnesium and minimise lithium loss through an improved precipitation method.

According to the paper, the Chengdu University team’s crystallisation-precipitation method has shown that it can remove magnesium while limiting lithium loss to just 0.4 per cent.

The Nanjing University researchers also looked into methods based on solvent extraction, which involves mixing the brine with solvents that specifically dissolve lithium, which is then recovered using other solutions.

The research team reported that this approach was deployed at a salt lake in the northwestern province of Qinghai, achieving a lithium extraction efficiency of more than 65 per cent.

Other methods outlined in the study used filtration membranes to physically separate out the lithium using a pressure gradient, as well as differences in concentrations or electrical fields, or electrochemical techniques based on ion properties.

The researchers concluded that a combination of strategies would be “ideal” to optimise lithium extraction, such as using different extraction methods and renewable energy, or combining extraction with processes like seawater desalination.

“We predict that, through persistent research and development efforts in these domains, lithium derived from low-quality brines will emerge as substantial contributors to sustainable lithium production and use,” they wrote.

“This, in turn, will ensure a dependable supply for energy storage systems and facilitate the global shift towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.”

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China funeral home asks job seekers to spend 10 minutes in morgue, sparks public amusement

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3291338/china-funeral-home-asks-job-seekers-spend-10-minutes-morgue-sparks-public-amusement?utm_source=rss_feed

A funeral home in China has sparked online amusement by advertising for a “morgue manager” position with a monthly salary of 2,200 yuan (US$302) which requires candidates to spend 10 minutes in a freezing cold morgue to qualify for an interview.

On December 11, a netizen from Rushan, Shandong province in northern China, posted online details of the unique on-site test conducted by Rushan Xinmike Human Resources Co., Ltd. as part of their hiring process.

According to the job posting released by the Rushan Municipal Bureau of human resources and social security on December 6, the job requires applicants to have permanent household registration in Rushan.

A prospective candidate must also be capable of working 24-hour shifts, be male, under 45 years old, and have at least a junior secondary school education.

The position is a three-year contract and requires applicants to pay a 70 yuan (US$10) exam fee.

A comprehensive hiring process includes several stages such as the morgue room test, structured interviews, background checks, medical exams, and a six-month probation period.

A member of staff from the Rushan Funeral Services Center told Eastern Business News: “The special requirement is just a test method because some people have strong taboos or fears staying too long in such settings, but our work requires someone who can remain in the room for more than 10 minutes.”

Further details revealed that the monthly salary for this position is 2,200 yuan after tax and social insurance payments, with additional allowances for night shifts.

But the role is based on a contract and does not offer bian zhi, a benefit that ensures a stable, lifelong job.

It remains unclear how many candidates have applied for the job.

An source, surnamed Wang, who has extensive experience in funeral home management in southwestern China, told Jimu News that this on-site test might be intended to assess a candidate’s psychological resilience, although it seems unethical.

“In practice, positions like body management and crematory work offer higher pay than regular staff because they are specialised. You can do professional psychological tests or set up an internship period, but this type of on-site test before the interview is inappropriate.”

According to Zhiyan Consulting, China’s funeral services market expanded from 169.5 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion) in 2015 to 310.2 billion yuan by 2022.

In 2023, there were 4,605 funeral service institutions nationwide, with cemetery services companies comprising the largest share at 57.84 percent.

The job advertisement has triggered amusement online.

One netizen joked: “This is much better than interviewing 10 living people. At least they did not ask me to stay in a crematorium for 10 minutes!”

“You have never worked before? The dead are not frightened because after starting to work, your grievances will weigh more than that of a ghost.”

Some people pointed out that the 2,200 yuan salary was too low to make the position attractive: “I could stay for 10 hours, just give me a book and a bottle of water. But the pay is too low.”

“It is not the fear that holds you back, but the salary,” said another person.

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China’s extended visa-free tourist stays drive momentum for opening

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3291969/chinas-extended-visa-free-tourist-stays-drive-momentum-opening?utm_source=rss_feed

China has never been so open to foreign visitors: with its latest visa-free transit policy, passport holders from 54 countries can enter China via 60 ports, visit 24 provincial regions, and stay up to 10 days. This comes after Beijing freed citizens from 38 countries from applying for visas when travelling around the country for up to a month.

It is worth noting that half of China’s territory is now open to citizens from developed economies. These include the nation’s most populous areas, its economic and political heartlands, and hundreds of cities. Places still off-limits to visa-free exploration include Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, as well as Jilin, China’s border province with North Korea.

The unprecedented visa waiver is expected to bring more tourist money to China, as early data showed a surge of interest for trips to the country. Meanwhile, the 10-day visa-free transit policy will also make business trips much easier, which can help bring in trade and investment opportunities.

But more than that, the policy also reflects a subtle shift in Beijing’s thinking: policymakers are a bit concerned, to say the least, about China’s reduced interactions with the rest of the world.

After three years of draconian border lockdowns, which formed the pillars of the nation’s “zero-Covid” strategy, Beijing has realised that it might have gone too far in pushing away people from other countries, as well as overseas Chinese. To rectify this, the government has taken various measures, from resumed flights to easier payments services, to attract foreign investors back to the country.

Those policies have worked. The number of foreign-passport holders entering China reached 29 million in the first 11 months of 2024, a hefty increase of 86 per cent from the same period last year. Still, it should be noted that the flow was much thinner than pre-Covid levels. In 2019, China recorded 98 million entries and exits by foreigners, which translated to about 49 million entries.

Removing visa requirements has conveyed China’s willingness to facilitate more global interactions, which is an encouraging sign.

By opening it borders wider, the country is also projecting a sense of confidence that it has many good things to offer the world. With public polls in Western nations showing a deteriorating image of China, Beijing is putting its hope in millions of foreign visitors to spread a more objective view of the country, free from any distortion by news outlets or politicians.

At the same time, the visa-free policy shows that China is willing to be pragmatic in managing its international policy, rather than adhering strictly to ideologies.

The 54 countries covered in the programme – including the US, Japan and Australia – were chosen for their income levels rather than how closely they align with Beijing’s views. It is noteworthy that China excluded some of its closest geopolitical allies from the programme, while including some countries that had a rocky diplomatic relationship with Beijing, such as Lithuania.

The list of countries that were granted visa-free travel seems to reflect the unspoken principle that China’s opening is targeted mainly at the US-led capitalist world.

If the pragmatic thinking behind the relaxed visa programme were applied to other policies, it could provide fresh momentum to China’s broader opening. One perception that has gained popularity in China in recent years is that the outside world has become more menacing, and that the country has to become more vigilant to guard against foreign people, products and ideas. As a result, the “us versus them” mentality has taken root in many corners of society.

The relaxed visa programme is expected to not only boost the influx of visitors, but also help foster greater goodwill between China and the rest of the world. And that goodwill, in turn, can lay the foundation for more pragmatic and less confrontational policies. The benefits will go far beyond tourism dollars.

China’s massive solar rooftop roll-out gains traction, but grid struggles to keep pace

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292003/chinas-massive-solar-rooftop-roll-out-gains-traction-grid-struggles-keep-pace?utm_source=rss_feed

Former construction contractor Gao Shouguang switched careers last year, abandoning the troubled property sector to become a solar panel distributor – and another example of China’s economic transition – in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing.

Gao and his team are busy every day, shuttling around the county where they are based to install rooftop solar panels on houses.

Mounted on steel frames, the gleaming striped panels absorb sunlight and generate electricity that can be sold to grid companies, while also shielding the house from rain and heat.

“Solar panels offer waterproofing and can help households earn additional income,” Gao said. “They’re becoming increasingly well-received by farmers.”

Installing solar panels on a typical 100 square metre (1,076 sq ft) rooftop costs more than 100,000 yuan (US$13,700), and that sees most residents opt to rent their rooftop space to solar panel distributors like Gao.

He offers them 25-year contracts that pay 15 yuan per panel a year, plus a first-year incentive payment of 50 yuan a panel. With each solar panel covering about three square metres, the owner of a 100 square metre rooftop can earn around 450 yuan a year.

Solar panel companies can earn an average of about 780 yuan a month by selling the electricity generated by those panels to grid companies, a technician at a power supply station in one Chongqing county said, adding that they purchase the electricity at about 0.39 yuan per kilowatt-hour and distribute it for local use.

As a distributor, Gao can earn about 30,000 yuan from solar panel companies – which covers raw material costs – by installing solar panels on a 100 square metre rooftop.

Gao has entered the growing solar panel industry as China accelerates its renewable energy push. From sun-drenched northern areas to cloudy southern regions, and from large solar farms to the rooftops of houses, factories and airports, solar panels are becoming an increasingly common feature of the country’s energy landscape.

Solar power now makes up 24.8 per cent of China’s total installed electricity capacity, having overtaken wind and hydropower to become the country’s second-largest energy source, China Central Television reported on December 15.

While most solar power is generated by centralised solar power systems – typically large solar farms – “distributed generation” installations on the rooftops of houses, factories and airports are gaining traction.

That wave started in sunlight-rich northern parts of the country, including the provinces of Shandong, Henan and Hebei. Since then, installations have gradually expanded to more southerly coastal regions and, more recently, to areas with the least sunlight exposure, such as Chongqing.

“Studies show that solar power is playing a positive contribution in the reduction of carbon emissions in China, and I think distributed solar panels are a part of this,” said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Centre for Economics and Business at The Conference Board think tank.

This trend will arguably continue strengthening in the future because of policy goals related to increasing energy security and diminishing emissions, but also because, from a cost perspective, it just makes sense.”

Analysts say technological advances and massive production have made solar panels more affordable – with the payback periods required to recover the funds invested in their acquisition via electricity bill savings much shorter than before – helping to spread the benefits of green energy in China.

The development of distributed energy – which includes the use of distributed solar panel systems – was listed as a priority for the first time in this year’s government work report, which was delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress in March.

In a guideline issued in 2021, when it started to promote the use of distributed solar panels, the central government said China had a “vast number of rooftops suitable for installing solar power systems, offering significant potential for clean energy development”.

“Installing rooftop solar panels can help integrate resources, reduce peak electricity loads, and save grid costs,” it said. “This initiative is key to achieving carbon neutrality and rural revitalisation.”

The cumulative capacity of installed distributed solar panels rose to 254,400 megawatts last year, up 61.4 per cent year on year, according to data from the National Energy Administration (NEA). The capacity of panels installed on houses exceeded 115,000 megawatts – equivalent to about five Three Gorges Dam power stations.

With solar power becoming a major player in China’s energy mix, the industry’s value rose to 1.75 trillion yuan last year and it provided jobs for around 2.46 million people, according to a report in China Energy News, which is affiliated with the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, which said it is expected to employ more than 3.3 million people next year.

In late November, the largest distributed solar power project at a civil airport was launched in Chongqing. The 30 megawatt project, being installed on the rooftop of a car park near the terminal, is expected to generate 24 million kWh of electricity a year and meet 10 per cent of the airport’s power consumption needs, according to Chongqing’s municipal government.

Fuelled by strong incentives provided by local governments – such as subsidies and tax breaks – and falling costs, solar panels are becoming an increasingly economical choice for businesses. They are now widely installed on the rooftops of factories and commercial buildings, allowing companies to generate their own electricity and lower their energy expenses.

In June, Guangdong’s provincial government announced that companies installing rooftop solar panels would be exempt from income tax for three years, and local governments in Sichuan province, Chongqing and Beijing have introduced subsidies to encourage the installation of distributed solar panels by businesses.

According to the NEA, over 50 per cent of the distributed solar panels installed last year were dedicated to commercial use. In the first three quarters of this year, the share of solar panels installed for commercial purposes rose to 73.2 per cent, according to data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association.

Apart from the impetus provided by China’s green goals of seeing carbon emissions peak by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, analysts also attributed the quick expansion to the solar panel industry’s increased production capacity.

“There has been a massive capacity being built up,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis. “Companies are struggling to sell their products to other provinces with weaker solar resources, so selling distributed solar panel projects is their way to survive.

“Also, there’s a stronger push towards renewable energy on the policy side, so some of the provinces may feel the need to step up support for rooftop solar panel installations.”

The nation’s varied geographical conditions and seasonality factors have been challenges for developing renewable energy.

“China still faces challenges in providing electricity generated from renewable resources through its national grid across the entire country, largely because the distribution of natural resources is unequal,” Montufar-Helu said.

And with local grid infrastructure facing challenges in accommodating the electricity generated by distributed solar panels, concerns persist about their effectiveness in alleviating electricity shortages.

Despite a continuous increase in total solar power capacity, utilisation, measured by the average operating hours of solar devices, declined this year. In the first four months of the year, installed capacity rose by 36.6 per cent year on year, while average operating hours fell by 17 per cent, according to the NEA.

Dennis Ip, Daiwa Capital Markets’ regional head of power, utilities, renewables and energy storage systems research, said “renewable energy is oversupplied, as the curtailment rate is going up in China”.

Curtailment is a reduction in output due to insufficient grid capacity or demand.

Ip said China’s insufficient grid capacity had negative implications for the development of distributed solar panels because many regions were unable to connect rooftop solar panels to the grid, preventing them from generating revenue through electricity sales.

The government released a draft policy for public comment in October that would encourage high-capacity commercial solar projects installed on factory or school rooftops to increase their consumption of the energy they generated by limiting their grid uploads.

The problem of grid capacity limitations was also highlighted by Gao, who said they had led solar panel distributors to compete by offering high rental rates to homeowners. As a result, their profit margins had shrunk, with installation crews of five people earning only a few thousand yuan each time they completed a household installation.

“We’re now in a ‘bidding war’, as it’s impossible to install solar panels on every household due to limited grid capacity,” he said. “The profit margin is quite slim, but still, it’s better than the days in the construction business.”