Mistral点评

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Economy 章节

引言

　　近年来，西方媒体对中国经济的报道频繁且多样化。这些报道涵盖了中国经济的各个方面，包括增长率、贸易政策、科技创新、金融市场等。然而，这些报道往往带有一定的偏见和双重标准，因此需要客观地进行评价和分析。

经济增长与挑战

　　西方媒体常常关注中国的经济增长率，并将其与西方国家进行比较。尽管中国的经济增长率在全球范围内仍然处于较高水平，但一些报道往往夸大了中国经济面临的挑战，如债务问题、房地产泡沫等。需要指出的是，中国政府在应对这些挑战方面采取了一系列措施，如金融去杠杆化和房地产市场调控政策。这些措施在一定程度上缓解了经济下行压力，维持了经济的稳定增长。

贸易政策与国际关系

　　贸易政策是西方媒体报道中的另一个热点话题。特别是中美贸易战期间，西方媒体对中国的贸易政策进行了大量报道，往往从不利于中国的角度进行解读。然而，需要客观看待的是，贸易战的爆发是多种因素共同作用的结果，包括美国国内的政治因素和全球贸易格局的变化。中国在贸易战中展现了极大的韧性和应变能力，通过扩大内需、推动科技创新等措施，减轻了贸易战带来的冲击。

科技创新与产业升级

　　中国在科技创新和产业升级方面取得了显著成就，这一点在西方媒体的报道中得到了一定的关注。然而，一些报道往往忽视了中国在这些领域的长期努力和积累，而是将中国的成就归因于所谓的“抄袭”和“不公平竞争”。事实上，中国在科技创新方面的投入逐年增加，研发支出占GDP的比重不断提高，科技创新能力显著提升。中国在5G技术、人工智能、新能源等领域的领先地位，正是这种长期努力的结果。

金融市场与风险管理

　　西方媒体对中国金融市场的报道往往集中在风险和不稳定因素上，如股市波动、债务风险等。然而，需要指出的是，中国的金融市场在近年来得到了显著发展，金融监管体系不断完善，风险管理能力显著提升。特别是在应对金融风险方面，中国政府采取了一系列有效措施，如加强金融监管、推动金融机构去杠杆化等，有效防范了系统性金融风险。

结论

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国经济的报道存在一定的偏见和双重标准。然而，通过客观分析，可以看到中国经济在增长、贸易、科技创新、金融市场等方面取得了显著成就。面对各种挑战，中国政府采取了一系列有效措施，保持了经济的稳定增长。未来，中国经济将继续在全球经济中发挥重要作用，西方媒体应该更加客观、全面地报道中国经济的发展现状和未来前景。

新闻来源：

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Politics 章节

引言

　　西方媒体对中国政治的报道往往充满争议，因为这些报道常常带有明显的偏见和双重标准。为了更好地理解这些报道的背景和影响，本章节将对西方媒体关于中国政治的报道进行客观评价，分析其内容、立场和可能的偏见。

一、报道内容分析

　　#### 1. 政治体制

　　西方媒体经常关注中国的政治体制，特别是中国共产党在国家治理中的作用。这些报道往往强调中国的单一制政党体制，并将其与西方的多党制民主进行对比。然而，这些报道常常忽视了中国政治体制的独特背景和历史发展。中国的政治体制是在特定历史和文化背景下形成的，具有其独特的合理性和有效性。

　　#### 2. 人权问题

　　西方媒体在报道中国政治时，人权问题是一个重要的议题。这些报道往往聚焦于新疆、西藏等地区的少数民族政策，以及言论自由和宗教自由等问题。然而，这些报道常常忽视了中国在人权保障方面所取得的进展，以及中国政府在提高民众生活水平和社会稳定方面的努力。

　　#### 3. 国际关系

　　西方媒体对中国的国际关系报道多关注于中美关系、中欧关系以及中国在国际组织中的角色。这些报道往往将中国描绘成一个日益强大的“威胁”，特别是在经济和军事领域。然而，这些报道常常忽视了中国在国际事务中的积极贡献，以及中国在全球治理中的建设性作用。

二、报道立场分析

　　西方媒体在报道中国政治时，往往带有明显的意识形态偏见。这些报道常常从西方的价值观和利益出发，对中国的政治制度和政策进行批评和质疑。这种立场使得这些报道在客观性和公正性方面存在较大的局限性。

　　#### 1. 意识形态偏见

　　西方媒体往往从自由主义和新自由主义的角度出发，对中国的政治制度和政策进行批评。这种偏见使得这些报道在评价中国政治时，往往忽视了中国的历史背景和文化传统，而是单纯地从西方的价值观出发进行评判。

　　#### 2. 双重标准

　　西方媒体在报道中国政治时，常常采用双重标准。例如，在报道人权问题时，西方媒体往往对中国的人权状况进行严厉批评，而对西方国家自身的人权问题却往往视而不见。这种双重标准使得这些报道在客观性和公正性方面存在较大的局限性。

三、报道影响分析

　　西方媒体对中国政治的报道对国际舆论和中国的国际形象产生了重要影响。这些报道在一定程度上塑造了国际社会对中国政治的认知，同时也对中国的国际形象产生了负面影响。

　　#### 1. 国际舆论

　　西方媒体的报道在一定程度上塑造了国际社会对中国政治的认知。这些报道往往通过强调中国的负面形象，使得国际社会对中国政治产生了偏颇的认知。这种认知在一定程度上影响了国际社会对中国的态度和政策。

　　#### 2. 中国国际形象

　　西方媒体的报道对中国的国际形象产生了负面影响。这些报道往往通过强调中国的负面形象，使得国际社会对中国产生了负面的印象。这种负面的印象在一定程度上影响了中国在国际社会中的地位和声誉。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国政治的报道往往充满偏见和双重标准，这使得这些报道在客观性和公正性方面存在较大的局限性。为了更好地理解中国政治，国际社会需要从多角度、多层次进行综合分析，避免单纯依赖西方媒体的报道。通过客观、公正的分析，可以更好地理解中国政治的独特背景和发展趋势，从而促进国际社会对中国的正确认知和理解。

新闻来源：

# 关于中国的新闻报道

军事（Military）章节

引言

　　西方媒体对中国军事发展的报道往往充满偏见和双重标准，这些报道常常忽视了中国军事现代化的合理性和必要性，而是过度渲染其威胁性。为了客观评价这些报道，本章节将从多个角度分析西方媒体对中国军事的报道，并提供相应的背景信息和中国的立场。

中国军事现代化的背景

　　中国军事现代化是中国国防建设的重要组成部分，旨在提升国家安全和国防能力。自改革开放以来，中国经济迅速发展，国防预算也随之增加。中国军事现代化的目标是建设一支强大的现代化军队，能够应对复杂多变的国际安全环境。

西方媒体的报道倾向

　　西方媒体在报道中国军事现代化时，往往采取以下几种倾向：

　　1. 威胁论：西方媒体常常将中国军事现代化描绘成对地区稳定和全球安全的威胁，忽视了中国作为一个主权国家合理提升国防能力的权利。 2. 双重标准：西方媒体在报道中国军事发展时，常常采用与报道西方国家不同的标准。例如，美国和其他西方国家的军事扩张和军事基地建设被视为正当，而中国的类似行为则被视为挑衅。 3. 信息不对称：西方媒体往往依赖于情报机构和军事分析机构提供的信息，这些信息可能存在偏见和不准确之处。中国政府和军方的官方信息则往往被忽视或怀疑。

具体报道分析

　　#### 1. 中国军费增长

　　西方媒体经常报道中国军费的增长，并将其视为中国军事扩张的证据。然而，这些报道往往忽视了以下几点：

　　- 经济增长：中国经济的快速增长使得军费占GDP的比例并未显著增加。

• 国防需求：作为一个大国，中国需要一支强大的军队来保护其领土完整和国家安全。
• 透明度：中国政府已经在逐步提高军费预算的透明度，并公开了许多军费使用的细节。

　　#### 2. 南海问题

　　西方媒体对南海问题的报道往往将中国描绘成侵略者，而忽视了以下几点：

　　- 历史背景：中国在南海的主权声索有着悠久的历史背景，并且得到了国际法的支持。

• 安全需求：南海是中国重要的海上通道，确保其安全对中国的经济和国家安全至关重要。
• 多边合作：中国一直倡导通过多边合作和对话解决南海问题，而不是单方面的军事行动。

　　#### 3. 军事科技发展

　　西方媒体对中国军事科技发展的报道往往渲染其威胁性，而忽视了以下几点：

　　- 科技进步：中国的军事科技发展是其整体科技进步的一部分，符合国际科技发展的趋势。

• 国防需求：中国需要先进的军事科技来提升其国防能力，应对复杂多变的国际安全环境。
• 国际合作：中国的军事科技发展也包括与其他国家的合作，旨在促进全球和平与稳定。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国军事的报道往往充满偏见和双重标准，这使得国际社会对中国军事现代化的认识存在误解。为了客观评价中国军事发展，需要综合考虑中国的历史背景、国防需求和国际安全环境。中国军事现代化的目标是提升国家安全和国防能力，而不是对地区稳定和全球安全构成威胁。国际社会应该以开放和理性的态度看待中国军事发展，促进相互理解和合作。

新闻来源：

# 关于中国的新闻报道：Culture章节

引言

　　在全球化背景下，西方媒体对中国文化的报道呈现出多样化的特征。然而，由于文化背景、意识形态和政治立场的差异，这些报道往往带有一定的偏见和双重标准。为了客观评价这些报道，本章节将从多个角度进行详细分析，旨在揭示其中的真实与偏见。

文化多样性与传统保护

1. 文化多样性

　　西方媒体常常报道中国文化的多样性，尤其是少数民族的文化。这些报道通常强调中国政府在保护少数民族文化方面的努力，如设立自治区、支持少数民族语言教育等。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国政府在少数民族地区推行的同一化政策，如汉语教育的普及和中央集权的强化。

2. 传统文化保护

　　西方媒体对中国传统文化的保护措施也有所报道，如故宫、长城等世界文化遗产的保护工作。这些报道通常肯定中国政府在文化遗产保护方面的努力，但也常常指出商业化和旅游开发对文化遗产的破坏。

现代文化与创意产业

1. 现代文化

　　西方媒体对中国现代文化的报道较为复杂。一方面，他们肯定中国在电影、音乐、文学等领域的发展，如张艺谋的电影、莫言的文学作品等；另一方面，他们也常常批评中国的文化审查制度，认为这限制了创作自由和艺术表达。

2. 创意产业

　　西方媒体对中国创意产业的报道较为积极，尤其是对中国互联网公司和数字娱乐产业的发展。这些报道通常强调中国在科技创新和市场开拓方面的成就，但也指出知识产权保护和内容审查等问题。

文化交流与软实力

1. 文化交流

　　西方媒体对中国文化交流的报道较为频繁，尤其是关于孔子学院的报道。这些报道通常强调孔子学院在全球推广中文和中国文化的作用，但也常常批评其为中国政府的宣传工具。

2. 软实力

　　西方媒体对中国软实力的报道较为复杂。一方面，他们肯定中国通过文化交流、国际合作等手段提升国际影响力；另一方面，他们也常常批评中国的文化输出带有政治目的，如“一带一路”倡议中的文化合作。

结论

　　综上所述，西方媒体对中国文化的报道呈现出多样化和复杂化的特征。这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国文化的真实面貌，但也带有明显的偏见和双重标准。为了更客观地理解中国文化，需要综合多方信息，进行理性分析和判断。

建议

　　1. 多元化信息来源：不仅依赖西方媒体的报道，还应参考中国官方和民间的声音，以获得更全面的视角。 2. 批判性思维：在阅读和分析新闻报道时，保持批判性思维，识别其中的偏见和双重标准。 3. 跨文化交流：加强与中国的跨文化交流，通过实地考察和亲身体验，更深入地了解中国文化。

　　通过以上方式，可以更客观、全面地理解中国文化，避免受到单一媒体报道的误导。

新闻来源：

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Technology 章节

引言

　　在全球科技领域，中国近年来取得了显著的发展和进步。然而，西方媒体对中国科技的报道往往带有偏见和双重标准。本章节将对西方媒体关于中国科技的报道进行客观评价，旨在揭示其中的偏见和不实之处，并提供更为全面和公正的视角。

1. 科技创新与发展

　　#### 1.1 技术进步

　　西方媒体常常忽视中国在科技创新方面的巨大进步。例如，中国在人工智能、5G通信、量子计算等领域的研究和应用已经达到世界领先水平。然而，西方媒体往往将这些成就归因于所谓的“模仿”或“偷窃”技术，而忽视了中国科研机构和企业在原始创新方面的贡献。

　　#### 1.2 科技企业

　　华为、腾讯、阿里巴巴等中国科技企业在全球市场中占据重要地位。西方媒体常常将这些企业描绘成“威胁”，特别是在数据安全和隐私保护方面。然而，这些企业在全球市场的成功更多是基于其技术优势和市场需求，而非所谓的“国家支持”。

2. 知识产权与专利

　　#### 2.1 专利数量

　　中国在专利申请和授权方面的数量迅速增长，已经成为全球专利申请的主要国家之一。西方媒体有时会质疑这些专利的质量和创新性，但实际上，中国在专利申请中的创新性和技术含量不容忽视。

　　#### 2.2 知识产权保护

　　西方媒体常常指责中国在知识产权保护方面不力，但实际上，中国政府近年来加大了对知识产权保护的力度，出台了一系列法律法规，并加强了执法力度。这些措施在很大程度上改善了知识产权保护的环境。

3. 数据安全与隐私保护

　　#### 3.1 数据安全

　　西方媒体常常将中国科技企业描绘成数据安全的威胁，特别是在5G网络和人工智能领域。然而，这些指责往往缺乏实际证据，且忽视了中国在数据安全方面的积极措施和国际合作。

　　#### 3.2 隐私保护

　　中国在隐私保护方面也取得了显著进展，出台了一系列法律法规，如《个人信息保护法》，以保护公民的隐私权。西方媒体常常忽视这些进展，而是抓住个别案例进行放大报道。

4. 国际合作与竞争

　　#### 4.1 国际合作

　　中国在科技领域积极参与国际合作，与多个国家和组织开展联合研究和技术交流。西方媒体有时会将这些合作描绘成“威胁”或“渗透”，但实际上，这些合作有助于推动全球科技进步和共同发展。

　　#### 4.2 国际竞争

　　中国在科技领域的崛起不可避免地带来国际竞争。西方媒体常常将这种竞争描绘成“不公平”或“不道德”，但实际上，竞争是市场经济的基本特征，中国企业在国际市场的竞争力是基于其技术优势和市场需求。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国科技的报道往往带有偏见和双重标准，忽视了中国在科技创新、知识产权保护、数据安全和国际合作方面的积极进展和贡献。为了获得更为全面和公正的视角，需要客观评价这些报道，并认识到中国在全球科技领域的重要地位和贡献。通过加强国际交流和合作，中国有望在未来继续推动全球科技的发展和进步。

新闻来源：

# 关于中国的新闻报道

Society 章节

引言

　　在全球化的背景下，西方媒体对中国社会的报道往往呈现出复杂且多样的面貌。这些报道不仅反映了中国社会的多样性和动态变化，也折射出西方媒体在报道中国时的立场和视角。本章节将对西方媒体关于中国社会的新闻报道进行客观评价，探讨其内容、立场及可能存在的偏见和双重标准。

一、经济发展与社会变迁

　　西方媒体在报道中国社会时，经济发展和社会变迁是常见的主题。这些报道通常关注中国的快速经济增长、城市化进程以及由此带来的社会变化。然而，西方媒体往往倾向于突出负面问题，如贫富差距、环境污染和社会不公。虽然这些问题确实存在，但西方媒体有时会忽视中国政府和社会在解决这些问题上的努力和进展。

　　#### 1.1 城市化与农村发展

　　西方媒体经常报道中国的城市化进程，关注大城市的繁荣和现代化。然而，农村地区的发展往往被忽视。实际上，中国政府近年来加大了对农村基础设施建设和扶贫工作的投入，取得了显著成效。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国的城乡发展，避免片面的偏见。

　　#### 1.2 贫富差距与社会不公

　　贫富差距和社会不公是西方媒体报道中国社会时的重点问题。虽然这些问题在中国确实存在，但西方媒体往往忽视了中国政府在缩小贫富差距、促进社会公平方面的政策和措施。例如，中国的“精准扶贫”政策已经帮助数千万人脱贫，这一成就在西方媒体中往往得不到充分报道。

二、教育与文化

　　西方媒体对中国教育和文化的报道也呈现出多样化的特点。这些报道通常关注中国的教育体系、文化遗产保护以及现代文化的发展。

　　#### 2.1 教育体系

　　西方媒体经常报道中国的高考制度和应试教育，认为这些制度导致了学生的压力和创新能力的不足。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国教育体系的多样性和改革进程。近年来，中国政府在推动教育改革，注重学生的全面发展和创新能力的培养。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国的教育改革，避免简单化的评价。

　　#### 2.2 文化遗产保护

　　西方媒体对中国文化遗产保护的报道通常比较正面，认为中国在保护和传承文化遗产方面做出了积极努力。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国在文化遗产保护方面面临的挑战和问题。例如，快速的城市化进程和旅游业的发展对文化遗产的保护带来了新的压力。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国在文化遗产保护方面的努力和挑战。

三、社会问题与公共政策

　　西方媒体在报道中国社会问题时，通常关注人口老龄化、医疗卫生、社会保障等方面。这些报道往往突出问题的严重性，但忽视了中国政府在解决这些问题上的努力和进展。

　　#### 3.1 人口老龄化

　　西方媒体经常报道中国的人口老龄化问题，认为这将对中国的经济和社会带来巨大压力。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国政府在应对人口老龄化方面的政策和措施。例如，中国政府近年来推出了一系列政策，旨在促进养老产业发展、提高老年人的生活质量。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国在应对人口老龄化方面的努力和进展。

　　#### 3.2 医疗卫生

　　西方媒体对中国医疗卫生体系的报道通常比较负面，认为中国的医疗资源分配不均、医疗服务质量不高。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国在医疗卫生改革方面的努力和进展。例如，中国政府近年来加大了对基层医疗卫生体系的投入，推动医疗资源的均衡分配。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国在医疗卫生改革方面的努力和进展。

四、社会稳定与法治建设

　　西方媒体在报道中国社会稳定和法治建设方面，通常关注社会矛盾、司法公正等问题。这些报道往往突出问题的严重性，但忽视了中国政府在维护社会稳定和推进法治建设方面的努力和进展。

　　#### 4.1 社会矛盾

　　西方媒体经常报道中国的社会矛盾，认为这些矛盾可能导致社会不稳定。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国政府在解决社会矛盾、维护社会稳定方面的努力和措施。例如，中国政府近年来加强了社会治理，推动社会矛盾的化解和预防。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国在维护社会稳定方面的努力和进展。

　　#### 4.2 法治建设

　　西方媒体对中国法治建设的报道通常比较负面，认为中国的法治建设存在不足。然而，这些报道往往忽视了中国在法治建设方面的进展和成就。例如，中国政府近年来推动了一系列法治改革，旨在提高司法公正、保障公民权利。西方媒体应更加全面地报道中国在法治建设方面的努力和进展。

结论

　　西方媒体对中国社会的报道呈现出复杂且多样的特点。虽然这些报道在一定程度上反映了中国社会的现实，但也存在一定的偏见和双重标准。西方媒体应更加客观、全面地报道中国社会，避免简单化和片面的评价。通过全面、客观的报道，西方媒体可以更好地帮助国际社会理解中国社会的复杂性和多样性，促进国际间的相互理解和合作。

新闻来源：

• US national security adviser fears Trump might push some Indo-Pacific nations toward China
• US imposes new Russia sanctions, hoping to reduce oil sales to China, India
• Apple forms Shanghai data-processing venture as AI push in China still in limbo
• Top Chinese general pledges strict crackdown on military corruption for 2025
• China releases world’s most powerful electronic warfare weapon design software – for free
• Will Donald Trump’s return to power deepen divisions between Canada and China?
• China’s aviation sector in clear skies of profit after 4 turbulent years
• Hong Kong’s Eason Chan axes Thai show over ‘safety issues’ for Chinese citizens
• Record low yields prompt suspension of government bond purchases by China’s central bank
• Ishiba’s snub by Trump may push Japan toward China, sparking concerns about US influence
• Huawei gets WeChat on board with HarmonyOS, a key step to challenge Android, iOS in China
• Former Chinese state media editor Hu Jian lands new foreign ministry role
• China basketball star suspended for smuggling girlfriend into room in suitcase to do ‘homework’
• Rescued from Myanmar, Chinese actor Wang Xing prepares to fly home
• Chinese software firm Yonyou picks former senior SAP executive as new president
• Indonesia to keep pushing for South China Sea code of conduct, expand defence ties
• China catches foreign spy taking photos of island military site: report
• China pressures EU for talks to resolve ‘unfair’ trade barriers
• China’s Fujian carrier shows signs of heavier flight deck activity after latest sea trial
• China hit record trade barriers in 2024 as overcapacity fears spread to developing world
• Chinese actor Wang Xing rescued, Tibet earthquake, dementia tests: SCMP’s 7 highlights
• Family of Chinese tourists killed in Malaysia wall collapse seeks US$378,356 compensation
• China-born gene-editing star scientist Zhang Feng recognised with top US prize
• China woman claims property row led sister to distribute ‘solicitation cards’ with her photo
• [Sport] Reeves heads to China amid market trouble at home
• [Sport] Violent protests in China after student falls to his death
• Chinese cancel Thai holidays as actor Wang Xing’s kidnapping fuels safety fears
• Chinese firms ‘going global’ learn important lesson: integrate, or die
• Chinese cadres urged to splash the cash to boost consumption ahead of Lunar New Year
• Germany charges 3 with spying on naval tech for China
• China hacked phones and wants nuclear first strike capability against US: ex-Trump aide
• Trump tariffs will probably be 20% on most Chinese imports, not 60%: Goldman Sachs

US national security adviser fears Trump might push some Indo-Pacific nations toward China

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3294340/us-national-security-adviser-fears-trump-might-push-some-indo-pacific-nations-toward-china?utm_source=rss_feed

A senior White House official expressed concern on Friday that the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump will push some Indo-Pacific countries into China’s embrace if it diverges from the policies that President Joe Biden pursued in the region.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made the comment as part of a media round table held to sum up the Biden administration’s “enduring commitment” to the region, just 10 days before Mike Waltz – Trump’s pick to fill Sullivan’s role – enters the White House.

“I do worry that questions about America’s reliability and staying power with our allies and partners will lead countries to say, ‘maybe we need to hedge with China’,” Sullivan said.

“That is a genuine concern, and so my hope is that when the new administration comes in, they a clear message of continuity and saying power and commitment … and that they’ll want to build upon the strategic position of the United States in the region.”

Sullivan spoke after a series of Trump statements indicating that he will seek an aggressively expansive foreign policy that shows little regard for the sovereignty of some US allies, including a suggestion that Canada become America’s 51st state and an ambiguous stance on the defence of Ukraine.

Trump has also taken an increasingly critical stance towards other mutual defence agreements, even suggesting in a campaign speech that Russia should attack members of Nato who had not met their defence spending commitments.

However, Sullivan expressed a note of optimism by saying that efforts to counter China in the region had broad bipartisan support in Congress and that some democratic allies and others in the Indo-Pacific were increasingly working together on their own initiative to achieve this goal.

“If you look around at the other relationships – Australia, India, Japan, Philippines, and some of the new players that are engaging in a greater way with those countries, like Vietnam – one of the legacies of the Biden administration will not just be having America enhance its relationships, but have like-minded democratic allies and partners … see the common challenges.”

Separately on Friday, Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks made similar remarks about greater coordination among Indo-Pacific countries that Biden encouraged during his term.

US allies are “investing more on their own and in our collective defence, operating more deeply with each other and with us, and fielding more advanced capabilities”, she said.

Hicks cited navy vessels from Canada and Germany sailing through the Taiwan Strait last year as an example that the US was not “the only democracy that wants to see stability and prosperity prevail over chaos and conflict”.

The Biden administration made alliances and partnerships a cornerstone of its foreign policy, reinvigorating initiatives like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue – a coalition of Australia, India, Japan and the United States – and forging new ones, such as Aukus, a security pact between Australia, Britain and the United States.

While stressing the importance of coordination among democratic countries to face down an increasingly assertive Chinese military, the Biden officials also spoke of the need for dialogue with Beijing and an approach that would avoid direct conflict.

Asked about Japan’s recent efforts to stabilise its relationship with China, for example, Sullivan said he supported such engagement.

“We’re not going to tell our allies, you can’t hold significant summits at the leader levels or at very high levels, in the interests of maintaining stability in their relationship” with Beijing, he said.

“And I don’t think that kind of diplomacy detracts from the measures we all need to take together to ensure that [China] is not taking advantage of us.”

Meanwhile, Hicks stressed that the US was “not trying to coerce or compel” China.

“We are not – and we have no cause to be – in an ideological struggle for global domination with” China, she said.

Additional reporting by Bochen Han in Washington

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US imposes new Russia sanctions, hoping to reduce oil sales to China, India

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294330/us-imposes-new-russia-sanctions-hoping-reduce-oil-sales-china-india?utm_source=rss_feed

The US announced unprecedented sanctions on Russia’s energy industry on Friday in its latest effort to squeeze the revenue that the Kremlin needs to bankroll its war machine in Ukraine.

The sweeping sanctions came one day after US President Joe Biden unveiled US$500 million in additional military support for Ukraine, including air defence missiles, air-to-ground munitions, and support equipment for F-16 fighter jets.

Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas – two of Russia’s most significant oil producers and exporters – and their subsidies were among those added to the US Treasury Department’s sanction rolls.

Also on the blacklist were dozens of opaque traders, including two from Hong Kong, as well as 34 Russia-based oilfield services and 13 Russian energy officials and elites. Gazprom Neft chairman Aleksandr Dyukov was also designated.

According to a Treasury Department statement, the measures are expected to substantially increase the risk of sanctions linked to every stage of the Russian oil production and distribution chain.

“The United States is taking sweeping action against Russia’s key source of revenue for funding its brutal and illegal war against Ukraine,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

“With today’s actions, we are ratcheting up the sanctions risk associated with Russia’s oil trade, including shipping and financial facilitation in support of Russia’s oil exports.”

Additional targets for sanctions were 183 vessels – largely oil tankers from a shadow fleet used to transport sanctioned goods, according to the department – and two Russian-based maritime insurance providers.

Also on Friday, the State Department announced fresh sanctions against nearly 80 entities and individuals, including those providing support to Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project.

In a further effort to curb Russian access to US expertise in crude oil and petroleum production, the Treasury also banned American companies from providing petroleum-related services to entities in Russia, effective February 27.

By targeting the energy industry – believed to be the largest source of funding for Moscow’s war machine – the White House hopes to squeeze export revenues and create a ripple effect, further weakening the rouble and putting pressure on Russia’s economy.

One US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the sanctions, if properly enforced, could undermine Russia’s revenues and increase its costs by upwards of billions of dollars every month.

“The objective is to change [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s calculus about the costs of continuing a senseless war, but at the same time giving Ukraine more leverage – the leverage that it needs to negotiate a just and lasting peace.”

Despite previous rounds of sanctions imposed by the West, Russia’s economy seemed to be resilient over the past year.

It remains unclear how far the latest sanctions would deter the biggest buyers of Russian oil – including countries like China, India, Turkey and Brazil that have been buying record amounts.

According to figures from Moscow, Russia exported 107 million tonnes of oil to China in 2023, making it the Asian giant’s biggest oil supplier.

Additionally, China pays for its Russian gas and oil in yuan. During his visit to Beijing in May, Putin said that 90 per cent of all transactions between the two countries were carried out in roubles and yuan.

India, now the largest importer of Russian crude oil, has also started paying in rupees or other currencies that, unlike the US dollar, circumvent the Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

New Delhi and Moscow are reportedly exploring the possibility of a rupee-rouble currency arrangement that would facilitate payments for energy and other existing trade.

The US official denied that Friday’s measures were aimed at any particular country, but said they might allow Russia’s energy customers to negotiate better prices or seek alternatives from other producers, such as those in the US, Canada or the Middle East.

Moscow has said its oil and gas revenues have continued to grow, despite Western sanctions and low global prices, bringing 10.34 trillion roubles (US$102.8 billion) to the federal budget in the first 11 months of 2024 – 25.7 per cent more than the same period the previous year.

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Apple forms Shanghai data-processing venture as AI push in China still in limbo

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294307/apple-forms-shanghai-data-processing-venture-ai-push-china-still-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed

Apple has formed a new data-processing venture in Shanghai, according to business registry information, as the US tech giant’s bid to bring artificial intelligence (AI) services to iPhones in mainland China remains in limbo.

Established on Friday with a registered capital of US$35 million, Apple Technology Development (Shanghai) will focus on software development, big data services, storage services and data processing, according to Chinese business registry platform Tianyancha.

Tejas Kirit Gala, who heads Apple’s multiple entities in the country, serves as the legal representative of the new firm, which is wholly owned by Apple South Asia, according to Tianyancha.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

The Cupertino, California-based company’s latest move comes amid growing challenges in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, where it faces increased competition from domestic handset vendors including a resurgent Huawei Technologies.

Apple is also awaiting regulatory approval to roll out its Apple Intelligence suite for iPhone users on the mainland.

Last month, Apple was said to be in early-stage talks with Tencent Holdings and ByteDance to introduce Apple Intelligence in China, where releasing generative AI products requires a local partner, according to a report by Reuters.

Earlier in December, Apple was said to be working with internet search giant Baidu on a local AI partnership. But disputes over access to user data and inaccurate responses to user queries contributed to slow progress, according to a report by US tech news outlet The Information.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook last year made at least three visits to China, where he met the company’s key mainland suppliers and industry regulators to discuss topics including data security and cloud services.

The company earlier this month started offering fresh price cuts on iPhones and other products via its China website and bricks-and-mortar Apple Stores to help boost sales on the mainland.

The mainland market share of foreign smartphone brands, mainly Apple, has plunged by nearly half from a year ago, according to data published last week by the state-run China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Foreign handset makers shipped 3.04 million units in China in November last year, down 47.3 per cent from 5.77 million in the same period in 2023, according to the academy, which did not name any specific brands.

Top Chinese general pledges strict crackdown on military corruption for 2025

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294320/top-chinese-general-pledges-strict-crackdown-military-corruption-2025?utm_source=rss_feed

A top Chinese general has hailed the progress in the military’s anti-corruption drive over the past year and pledged to deepen the “rectification” of defence-related industries in the new year.

According to a Friday report by state news agency Xinhua, General He Weidong, vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), said the People’s Liberation Army had achieved “new results and progress” in discipline inspection and supervision work in the past year.

He is also a member of the 24-member Politburo, the Communist Party’s centre of power.

However, He added that the armed forces must deepen political training, strengthen political supervision, strictly crack down on corruption and “punish evil”.

He said the armed forces must “deepen the rectification and governance in the industry” and continue to “purify the political ecology”.

The remarks were part of He’s address on Friday to a meeting of the CMC’s Commission for Discipline Inspection, the PLA’s anti-corruption body.

The CMC is the body in charge of China’s armed forces and is chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to the Xinhua report, He said the PLA must deepen joint governance across departments as well as tighten the chain of responsibility in party governance to “resolutely fight the tough, protracted and all-out war” against corruption.

He’s comments come as Xi’s anti-corruption drive – which started more than a decade ago – expands to reach all sectors of the economy and society, including the military.

The most recent senior military official to come under investigation last year was Admiral Miao Hua, a member of the CMC and director of its political work department, which is in charge of personnel changes and the party’s ideology work in the military. He was placed under investigation for alleged corruption in November.

Last year, Beijing also announced corruption investigations into former defence minister Li Shangfu, who was sacked as defence minister in October 2023 after just seven months on the job, as well as his predecessor Wei Fenghe. They have both been kicked out of the ruling Communist Party.

Some 14 military lawmakers have been removed from the national legislature since March 2023 – the highest rate of dismissal in at least four decades.

He’s remarks on Friday echoed statements by China’s top anti-corruption agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which this week vowed to ramp up efforts to fight corruption following a plenary session.

In mapping out its priorities for this year, the CCDI said it would “continue to punish corruption” and strictly investigate corruption cases that were intertwined with political and economic issues.

Xi said in the CCDI meeting on Monday that China’s fight against corruption remained “grave and complex” and warned of “catastrophic” risks for the country if there was an easing of the country’s anti-corruption crackdown.

“Corruption is the biggest threat facing the [Communist] Party, and countering corruption is the most thorough form of self-revolution,” he said.

“We must resolutely clarify all kinds of misconceptions, clear the ideological fog, and further strengthen our determination and confidence in the fight against corruption.”

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China releases world’s most powerful electronic warfare weapon design software – for free

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292466/china-releases-worlds-most-powerful-electronic-warfare-weapon-design-software-free?utm_source=rss_feed

A powerful industrial software that can be used to design electronic warfare weapons has been released for free by Chinese scientists – and test results suggest it outperforms a US product in both speed and memory usage.

This advance is the culmination of two decades of work that has gone largely unnoticed to the outside world, according to researchers involved in the project.

The electronic warfare equipment used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is evolving rapidly. For example, the multi-band antenna used in the new phased array radar has “complex structures such as curved surfaces, multilayer dielectrics, metal conductors and thin dielectric layers”, wrote the project team led by Professor Li Bin from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in a paper published in November.

This antenna also produces other complex phenomena during operation, such as vibration and heat generation.

But simulating these types of electromagnetic characteristics on a computer is extremely challenging.

Ansys HFSS, the most powerful electromagnetic industrial software in the United States, takes three hours to perform radiation simulation analysis on the same antenna, according to Li’s team.

The software developed by Li and his colleagues can complete the task in just 12 minutes, and it consumes less than one-sixth of the memory resources of the US software.

Li’s team named the software “Yaoguang” which is a romantic word in Chinese, describing the gentle swaying of light in the woods when the wind blows.

The emergence of Yaoguang means that when Chinese scientists compete with American or international counterparts in developing a new generation of electronic warfare weapons that may determine the course of future wars, they can complete the theoretical verification of a design 15 times faster, while consuming the same computing resources.

Li also provided other military application examples of the Yaoguang, such as analysing the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of a large electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier. It can increase the level of detail presented by nearly half, while taking one-third less time than the US software.

In addition to its powerful performance, Yaoguang has an unparalleled advantage: it is completely free and has been available for download since August.

It is a factor that is likely to make the software almost irresistible to users both in China and across the world.

A Chinese enterprise needs to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for similar US or European products. The reliability, too, of Western software is increasingly being questioned, as the US government can stop Chinese users from accessing it at any time.

Yaoguang can support the research and design of almost all electronic products.

“As one of the seven most urgent and critical core technologies, industrial software has attracted great attention from the country,” wrote Li’s team in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

Other core technologies include integrated circuits, industrial machinery, medical equipment, instrumentation, basic software and advanced materials.

Li has been recognised as a national leading talent by the Chinese government and serves as the chief scientist of a major national engineering project on large-scale industrial software.

With the support of this project, Yaoguang is rapidly developing and replacing Western products that are widely used in China’s industrial design field.

“We are promoting technological breakthroughs and application results across the entire field to achieve an independent and controllable industrial software industry and supply chains,” Li said.

A 2022 report from US Congress warned that the American military was losing its traditional advantage in the field of electronic warfare when confronting the PLA.

China has the world’s most complete industrial chain, the most advanced and efficient factories and the largest number of engineers. Some military experts believe that the gap between China and the United States in emerging military technologies, including electronic warfare capabilities, will continue to widen, significantly offsetting the US military’s advantages in traditional areas such as the number of aircraft carriers and military bases.

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Will Donald Trump’s return to power deepen divisions between Canada and China?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294322/will-donald-trumps-return-power-deepen-divisions-between-canada-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed

Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to create new challenges in Canada’s relationship with China.

Regardless of who forms the next government after this year’s election, where the opposition Conservatives are strongly favoured to win, the country is likely to fall in line with Trump’s position on major trade and security issues while treading a careful line between the two superpowers, according to observers.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced he was stepping down on Monday, has seen relations with China deteriorate sharply during his nine years in power despite his initial hopes for stronger ties.

Most observers agree relations never recovered after Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei Technologies executive, on a US warrant, in late 2018 and China’s subsequent detention of two Canadians, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, on spying charges.

Trudeau is stepping down at a time when Trump is not only threatening 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports but repeatedly saying the country should become the 51st US state.

“The turbulence in Canadian politics at the moment is considerable. Fear of China is now joined by a palpable fear of Trump’s ‘America first’ [revival],” said Paul Evans, professor emeritus in the school of public policy and global affairs at the University of British Columbia.

He said managing the relationship with its southern neighbour was a much higher priority for Canada than finding ways to live with China.

“A Cold War-like consensus is now well rooted in Canadian thinking and will be difficult to reverse in the context of an assertive and repressive China and an aggressive and revisionist US,” he said.

“Canada-China political relations have entered a long winter that will not be easy to reverse. In the eyes of many in the media, public and government circles, this is the long-term situation,” he said. “In other words, this is not just a change in the weather or seasons but something closer to climate change.”

Trudeau initially wanted to deepen engagement with China over trade, but his government later moved to distance itself from Beijing to avoid being seen as soft.

“This alignment with much of the Washington consensus on China as seen in Ottawa’s 2021 Indo-Pacific strategy was partly tactical domestic politics, partly the product of American pressure, but mainly a recalculation of the strategic setting,” Evans said.

Jeremy Paltiel, a political-science professor at Carleton University in Ottawa said Trudeau’s handling of relations with China went from “optimism to cold”.

“The turning point was the rejection by [Chinese President] Xi Jinping of Trudeau’s ‘progressive trade agenda’ at the end of 2017,” which left the Canadian leader to grapple with Trump’s “bullying” on trade largely on its own, he said.

“[Since Meng, Spavor and Kovrig were all released], relations with China have stabilised but never improved to the level they were at before 2017,” said Paltiel, a former visiting professor at Tsinghua University.

“There is certainly room for improvement, but given the pressure that Canada is facing … it is hard to see how a reset is possible, until and unless there is a complete turnaround in Sino-American relations, which is unlikely.”

Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of international relations and ­director of the China Institute at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said the fallout from the affair still cast a long shadow.

“It never recovered, and notably Trudeau was not serious about improving Canada-China relations, unlike leaders of other US allies such as Australia, Japan and France. Meanwhile, anti-China sentiment has been growing in Canada,” he said.

“And unfortunately, Trudeau and Xi never developed any close relationship that could have helped ease bilateral tensions.”

These tensions came to the surface again when Xi had a tense encounter with Trudeau on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November 2022.

Video footage showed the Chinese leader apparently complaining about the “inappropriate” leaking of the details of a private conversation and describing Trudeau as “very naive” at one point.

The Chinese foreign ministry insisted nothing Xi said should be interpreted as a dressing down or a threat and instead blamed Trudeau’s government for the steep decline in relations.

Sourabh Gupta, a senior policy specialist with the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, said Trudeau’s handling of relations with China had been “terrible”.

“Granted, he was dealt a difficult hand with Trump’s arrival in office. But rather than strive to maintain a degree of autonomy in Canada’s ties with China and expend political capital to protect and preserve the bilateral relationship, he was only too quick to bandwagon with every extreme American demand and throw China under the bus,” he said.

He compared him with his father, Pierre Trudeau, who became the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in 1973.

“What Trudeau Senior accomplished on China in the 1970s, Trudeau Junior has undone that over the past nine years,” he said.

Gupta said the relationship between the two sides was going nowhere. “It will remain grounded and fail to achieve take-off velocity in 2025 or during the rest of this decade. Whoever turns out to be Trudeau’s successor, he or she will be no Anthony Albanese,” he said, referring to the Australian prime minister who has been working to mend ties.

He said Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader who is leading in the polls, was “cut from a populist cloth not dissimilar to that of his American counterparts”.

“Like Trump, he happily traffics in anti-elitist tropes. He will be even more eager than Trudeau to fall in line with the American position on China,” he said.

It would probably be more challenging for Beijing to deal with Poilievre than Trudeau, as Trump would once again cause dissension and cracks between Canada and China, Gupta said.

“Beijing’s strategy should be to haul the China-Canada relationship one inch above failing grade and let it stew thereafter indefinitely until brighter prospects arise on the horizon – which may yet be many, many years removed. And of course in the interim, operate by norms-bound means in its day-to-day dealings with Ottawa - which means taking no hostages and suchlike,” he said.

Paltiel agreed that a Conservative government would be even more eager to placate Trump.

“Canada is entirely vulnerable to US trade pressure and will try to preserve a margin of manoeuvre while generally yielding. This is what we saw in the case of EV tariffs and Huawei,” he said.

Unlike Australia, which depends on China for trade and the US for security, Canada is far more dependent on the US economically.

“Canada will do all it can to save the rules-based trading order and will likely try to work with the EU to minimise the impact of [Trump’s] Maga trade policies. Jumping into bed with China would only inflame trade hawks in Washington further,” he said.

“However, if there is room for a multilateral response to Trump trade policies, Canada will very likely participate, certainly if the Liberals are still in power. A Conservative government may try to bandwagon with Trump and even respond lukewarmly to multilateral defensive initiatives.”

But under Trump, Canada will find that its “freeriding” on the US for security is not tolerated and it may have to increase defence spending significantly, according to Paltiel.

“For the foreseeable future, the watchword in Sino-Canadian relations will be security, with economics, trade and investment a distant second,” he said.

Paltiel added that Canada might have to significantly boost spending on its defences in the Arctic and while the Conservatives had been “reluctant to endorse this” they would probably have to do so if they come to power.

“Canadian governments of whatever persuasion will look to preserve a close alliance with the US as a priority commitment.”

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on US allies and rivals alike, and Evans said a key issue for Canada was how to maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system if the US started unravelling it intentionally.

“The idea that China is an alternative trading partner to the US is deeply mistaken. If, as is likely, US-China tensions deepen, Canada is almost certain to move in lockstep with the US in areas like tech and research restrictions, friendshoring in critical minerals and other ‘strategic’ sectors, plus defence spending increases,” he said.

Although both Canada and China will not like what comes out of Trump’s administration, Ottawa is unlikely to have the “inclination or leverage” to champion inclusive multilateral institutions in the Asia-Pacific region and other foreign policy agendas that Trump loathes.

But he said the one hope for improving relations was the deep personal ties between China and Canada, which is home to more than 1.7 million people of Chinese origin. He also said there was strong public support for better relations in areas such as universities, tourism and immigration.

Zhu was also pessimistic about Ottawa’s ties with Beijing after Trump returned, saying his recent comments about making Canada a US state had deepened his unpopularity north of the border.

“[Canadians] do not like Trump’s pressure tactics, they do not like tariffs, and they do not like to be blamed for crimes, drugs and immigration problems in the United States,” he said.

“However, it does not necessarily mean that Canada and China will work together to push back against Trump’s assertiveness. After all, there is little trust between Canada and China today.”

China’s aviation sector in clear skies of profit after 4 turbulent years

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294287/chinas-aviation-sector-clear-skies-profit-after-four-turbulent-years?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s civil aviation industry has turned a profit for the first time since 2020 – a milestone for one of the sectors hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic – with officials expressing optimism about its prospects for sustained growth.

In 2024, the industry reduced its losses by 20.6 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion) from the previous year and recorded a 25 per cent increase in total traffic, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Administrator Song Zhiyong announced at an industry work conference on Thursday.

This reduction, he said, was enough to bring the sector out of negative figures.

Further improving profitability and transporting 780 million passengers have been set as headline goals for civil aviation in 2025.

Official data shows that the industry endured four consecutive years of losses after the pandemic brought air travel to a halt. China’s international flights – which saw far steeper declines than domestic routes as most cross-border trips were cancelled – still lagged behind pre-pandemic capacity last year, though 84 per cent of 2019 traffic had been recovered.

In a report last year, state news agency Xinhua said the sector would transition from explosive post-pandemic recovery to steady growth in 2024, with “returning to profitability” identified as a major benchmark for performance.

Last year, the industry transported a record 730 million passengers, Song said, well above the forecast of 690 million made at an industry conference in early 2024.

Analysts attributed the strong performance to a “better-than-expected recovery” in passenger numbers. Passenger volume, which plummeted to around 400 million annually after 2020, dropped even further in 2022, falling 42.9 per cent to just 252 million passengers.

Financial columnist Wu Xiaobo credited the turnaround to frequent airfare promotions, which he said encouraged more travel and boosted occupancy rates.

“Last year, airfare prices were often cheaper than high-speed rail tickets,” Wu noted. “For international travel, round-trip flights from coastal cities to Japan were as low as 2,000 yuan (US$273).”

Official aviation data provider Flight Manager reported the average economy class fare was 767 yuan in 2024, down 12.1 per cent compared to 2023 and 3.8 per cent lower than 2019.

China’s total aviation population in 2024 – those who took at least one flight – reached 470 million, the world’s largest aviation market according to CAAC data. It represents an increase of 160 million over 2019.

“Steady income growth and more public holidays will continue to drive demand for air travel,” Song said.

He added that expanded visa-free entry policies and streamlined procedures for transit visas would further strengthen China’s position as a global aviation hub.

However, Wu cautioned, despite the recovery the domestic aviation industry “still has a long way to go” before reaching an era of long-term prosperity.

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Hong Kong’s Eason Chan axes Thai show over ‘safety issues’ for Chinese citizens

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3294301/hong-kongs-eason-chan-axes-thai-show-over-safety-issues-chinese-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed

Hong Kong singer Eason Chan Yik-shun has cancelled his coming concert in Thailand, with the organiser citing safety concerns for Chinese citizens and fans travelling to the country.

The Cantopop star’s Bangkok concert, scheduled for February 22, was axed just days after a mainland Chinese actor was reported missing while travelling in Thailand. Actor Wang Xing was later rescued from an online scam syndicate just across the border in Myanmar.

The decision on Chan’s show was made “in light of recent safety issues concerning Chinese citizens and fans travelling to Thailand”, organiser Sunfan Media Group said on Friday.

“After careful discussions with Eason Chan, his management team, and the relevant companies in Bangkok, we have made the cautious decision to cancel the Eason Chan Fear and Dreams World Tour Bangkok concert,” a spokesman said.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this cancellation may cause you.”

The cancellation of the show at Bangkok’s Impact Arena followed news that actor Wang had been rescued at the Thai-Myanmar border earlier this week.

Wang, also known as Xingxing, had gone missing in the area on January 3 after arriving in Thailand.

Authorities suspect he was lured to the country by a fake casting agent under the guise of a filming job and ended up being taken to the border before losing contact with his girlfriend.

Thai authorities rescued Wang from a fraudulent online scam operation in a Myanmese city bordering Thailand on Tuesday. Wang appeared disoriented in photos released by authorities and his head had been shaved.

Wang’s case follows a string of similar incidents in recent years, in which Chinese citizens were scammed into travelling to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia or Myanmar, and then kidnapped to work at phone fraud centres, where they could also be tortured.

The increasing number of such cases has reduced Chinese tourists’ confidence in travelling to Thailand, which relies heavily on the sector for economic growth.

Record low yields prompt suspension of government bond purchases by China’s central bank

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294282/record-low-yields-prompt-suspension-government-bond-purchases-chinas-central-bank?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s central bank has stepped up efforts to cool the bond market by temporarily suspending its open market purchases of government bonds, following recent warnings and heavy fines targeting bond-trading irregularities amid record low bond yields.

The suspension, which came into effect on Friday, was introduced because demand had exceeded supply in the government bond market recently, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said on its website, adding that its bond purchases would resume at a “proper time”, in accordance with the supply and demand situation.

Analysts said the temporary pause reflected the PBOC’s concern over the recent decline in government bond yields and aligned with its firmer stance in stabilising the yuan’s exchange rate, which was outlined at its fourth-quarter monetary policy meeting last year.

“The gap between government bond yields in China and the United States widened, which put pressure on the renminbi exchange rate,” said Zhang Zhiwei, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management.

“The announcement today sent a signal that the PBOC does not want to see the government bond yield in China fall further and add more pressure on the exchange rate.”

As returns from traditional assets like stocks and real estate shrink, investors have been increasingly seeking low-risk alternatives, such as government bonds, to diversify their portfolios, resulting in a continual decline in China’s 10-year bond yield last year.

To resolve the problem of overly aggressive bond trading, following a declaration of “zero tolerance” towards the practice, the PBOC had talks in late December with several financial institutions and imposed heavy fines on three of them for bond-trading irregularities.

The yield on China’s 10-year treasury bond stood at 1.64 per cent on Thursday, after hitting a record low of 1.6 per cent on January 3, down from 1.68 per cent at the end of December.

Meanwhile, the 30-year bond yield reached 1.89 per cent on Thursday, down from 1.91 per cent at the end of last year.

Ishiba’s snub by Trump may push Japan toward China, sparking concerns about US influence

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3294294/ishibas-snub-trump-pushes-japan-towards-beijing-sparking-concerns-about-us-influence?utm_source=rss_feed

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s repeated rebuffs by US president-elect Donald Trump may drive him towards Beijing, analysts say, sparking concerns that closer Sino-Japanese ties might complicate Washington’s Asia-Pacific policy.

When Trump declined a request to meet Ishiba in November, it was widely seen as a snub to the Japanese leader. Additionally, when Ishiba suggested visiting Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence, this was also firmly rejected, with the president-elect’s team citing the 1799 Logan Act for avoiding contact with foreign leaders before his inauguration on January 20.

Critics of that explanation highlight Trump’s recent meetings with leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as a private meeting with Prince William.

While Ishiba has stayed silent on why he was rebuffed, Tokyo officials announced that the prime minister has turned down an offer of talks in the US in late January and postponed his visit to late February, shifting his focus elsewhere.

On a television news programme on December 29, Ishiba said, “It is extremely important for the Japanese prime minister to visit China.”

This is Ishiba’s second indication since being elected in October of his intent to travel to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, a plan that has raised concerns in Japan.

“It almost seems that the Ishiba government is creating a passive-aggressive approach to dealing with the Trump administration,” said Stephen Nagy, a politics and international relations professor at Tokyo’s International Christian University.

Ishiba’s visit to China and the potential for closer ties with Xi could “complicate” Washington’s Asia-Pacific policies, Nagy told This Week in Asia. However, he views this approach as “flawed logic,” given Japan’s reliance on the US for security guarantees.

From Ishiba’s perspective, Nagy suggests, the Trump administration “coming in hard” on China and applying “transactional and unorthodox tactics to pressure Beijing” at a time when its economy is weakening might create opportunities for Japan.

“China is working hard to build relationships across the board, so Ishiba may see this as an opportunity for him to extract some concessions for Japan,” he said.

Nagy added, however, that Japanese politicians and diplomats of virtually all political parties are “quite upset” at Ishiba for not engaging more with the US, believing that a strong relationship would benefit Japan in the long term.

They highlight then-President Shinzo Abe’s approach after Donald Trump’s surprise electoral victory in November 2016. Abe travelled to New York with a US$3,755 gold-plated golf club as a gift to strengthen their relationship. This tactic worked, as they played golf during Trump’s visit to Japan, and Abe praised Trump as “a leader in whom I can have great confidence,” helping Japan avoid the criticism aimed at other leaders.

Go Ito, a professor of international relations at Tokyo’s Meiji University, believes Trump and Ishiba are completely different political animals and are unlikely to change their opinions of each other.

“Trump judges someone on whether he likes him personally or not and even through the two have never met, Trump has an image of Ishiba, and it’s pretty clear it is not positive,” he said. “I imagine that image has been formed in part in his dinner meeting with Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, at Mar-a-Lago in December.

“Abe’s political doctrine was very different to that of Ishiba, the two men did not like each other, even though they were in the same party, and I expect Akie Abe has expressed that to Trump,” Ito said.

If the two men cannot collaborate – suggested by their failure to meet – it could “be very bad for the alliance”, Ito said, adding that this might explain why Ishiba proposed travelling to Beijing.

“Xi may also be looking for partners to counter Trump, and that could work to Japan’s advantage,” Ito said.

“My sense is that over the next four years, the US is going to lose some of its global primacy as it gets involved in disagreements over tariffs, the cost of troops stationed abroad, immigration and so on, while China is busy building an anti-US network, expanding the Brics alliance and so on,” he suggested.

Ito said Xi would not completely convert Ishiba to that way of thinking, but the Beijing-Tokyo alliance could expand in certain areas.

Huawei gets WeChat on board with HarmonyOS, a key step to challenge Android, iOS in China

https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3294241/huawei-gets-wechat-board-harmonyos-key-step-challenge-android-ios-china?utm_source=rss_feed

Tencent Holdings’ ubiquitous super app WeChat officially launched on HarmonyOS Next in China, giving Huawei Technologies a vital ally, as it expands the reach of the home-grown mobile operating system and Android replacement.

The HarmonyOS version of WeChat has been available for download since Wednesday, three months after Tencent began beta testing the app. The latest version supports key WeChat functions such as payments, short videos, live streaming and mini programs, in addition to messaging, audio and video calls, and social media page Moments – functions that already existed in the beta version.

With 1.38 billion monthly active users, WeChat has become a must-have digital tool for mainland Chinese users, making it indispensable for Huawei’s goal to break the dominance of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS in its home market.

Tencent last March assigned an experienced team to lead the development of WeChat’s HarmonyOS version, the company said on Wednesday. The team has been in charge of building various versions of WeChat through the years, including for Nokia’s Symbian mobile operating system.

Huawei has been rebuilding its consumer device business after US sanctions decimated sales of its smartphones. Barred from accessing US-origin technologies, the Chinese tech giant has doubled down on efforts to reduce reliance on both foreign software and hardware.

Its Mate 70 flagship smartphones, which were unveiled in November and feature an in-house designed processor, employ HarmonyOS Next, the latest iteration of the Huawei platform that no longer supports Android apps.

The Shenzhen-based company has set a 2025 target for all of its smartphones and tabletsto run on HarmonyOS Next.

Besides WeChat, Huawei also brought in other major Chinese apps, including TikTok’s Chinese sibling Douyin and Alipay from Ant Group, a financial technology affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba Group Holding.

The HarmonyOS Next ecosystem, with over 15,000 native apps and services as of October, was “basically usable”, Huawei’s rotating chairman Eric Xu Zhijun said in November. The company expects the operating system to reach “maturity” by achieving 100,000 apps in the next six months to a year, he added.

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Former Chinese state media editor Hu Jian lands new foreign ministry role

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3294289/former-chinese-state-media-editor-hu-jian-lands-new-foreign-ministry-role?utm_source=rss_feed

Former state media executive and top editor Hu Jian has landed a new role at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he will be in charge of implementing personnel decisions, marking a somewhat unusual career move for an ex-journalist in China.

Hu has been named the top-ranked among four deputy directors of the foreign ministry’s personnel department, according to the ministry’s official website on Friday. It is his second position within the ministry.

In his new role, Hu will be responsible for personnel and training ministry officials. His duties will include managing the appointment and dismissal of diplomats posted overseas and the ministry’s Hong Kong and Macau commissioners.

Hu, 46, is a veteran journalist who worked for Nanfang Daily Newspaper Group in the southern city of Guangzhou, where he covered domestic current affairs.

In 2020, he joined the foreign ministry’s department of press, communication and public diplomacy as a deputy director. At the time, the state-run Global Times cited Hu as an example of the ministry’s attempts to draw from beyond the usual diplomatic talent pool.

In his previous role at the ministry, Hu called for “improving the persuasiveness of China’s discourse”, including “debunking lies” from Western countries about China by using facts, according to Chinese media reports.

Last week, the ministry’s press department welcomed its new deputy director and spokesman, Guo Jiakun.

Beijing imposes strict censorship on media coverage. Only a small percentage of journalists working for officially accredited media outlets are able to obtain official press cards, and most other Chinese journalists are not allowed to cover official events.

Hu’s stories while working for Nanfang Daily were mostly in line with government propaganda, and he won several official news awards.

Hu was deputy editor-in-chief of Nanfang Daily Newspaper Group and CEO of its main website from 2017 to 2020.

While the Nanfang Daily group is affiliated with the propaganda department of the Guangdong provincial committee of the Communist Party, it was once a symbol of limited media freedom due to its investigative reports and critical voices from its two publications, Southern Metropolis News and Southern Weekly.

In 2013, the Southern Weekly editorial team protested against the censorship of its popular New Year’s editorial. The confrontation sparked rallies by activists against government control of the media and made international headlines.

The Nanfang Daily group was subsequently reformed by Guangdong authorities, and coverage of controversial social movements has declined significantly since then.

Executives from the group have served in Guangdong’s propaganda department in recent years.

Hu is not the only former executive of the company to join a central government ministry. Mo Gaoyi, now the director of the State Council Information Office, was once chairman and party secretary of the group.

China basketball star suspended for smuggling girlfriend into room in suitcase to do ‘homework’

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3294214/china-basketball-star-suspended-smuggling-girlfriend-room-suitcase-do-homework?utm_source=rss_feed

A top Chinese basketball player has been suspended after being accused of smuggling his girlfriend into his dormitory in a suitcase.

The punishment was meted out to Zhang Xingliang on January 8 by the Guangzhou Loong Lions, a team from southern China’s Guangdong province.

The club said Zhang, 20, had violated the team’s management rules.

In a statement, the club, which is a member of the Chinese Basketball Association, said he had not handled his personal matters appropriately, the Yangcheng Evening News reported.

Earlier this month, Zhang’s girlfriend, who was not identified in the report but who some sections of the mainland media said was a struggling arts student, said on social media that she was studying English all night in the dormitory.

She had previously released some pictures showing herself curled up so she could fit into a suitcase as well as images of the inside of Zhang’s dormitory.

This led many internet users to speculate that she was sneaked into the player’s dormitory in the suitcase.

The scandal unfolded a day ahead of Zhang’s club 103-90 loss to Qingdao Eagles, a team in eastern China.

Zhang played for 25 minutes in the match and scored five points, made three turnovers and effected two rebounds.

The story trended on mainland social media.

“Following the communication among the club management, coaches and Zhang Xingliang, Zhang realised that he should set a higher requirement for himself as a young player,” the club said in a statement.

“He feels sorry for the negative impact caused by the incident and pledges to improve himself from all aspects,” it added.

Zhang became a first-tier player for the Guangzhou club in 2023.

His girlfriend has deleted the controversial social media posts in which she released pictures displaying the affection between the pair.

On January 9, Zhang’s club denied online suitcase smuggling speculation.

An anonymous official from the club said the picture posted on the girlfriend’s social media account was actually taken in August during the team’s off-season when she went to Zhang’s dormitory to help him pack clothes.

Curious about the large size of Zhang’s suitcase, the woman huddled up to fit into the case and asked Zhang to take a picture of her.

She released the picture in November, and at the time it did not make any waves.

This came two days before Guangzhou lost 113-103 to Qingdao at home, sparking the speculation that the incident happened the last time the two teams met.

The loss sparked an 11-game losing streak for the Loong Lions, which was only broken on December 7, when they beat Jiangsu Dragons 100-91 away from home.

Zhang’s girlfriend has drawn much attention in recent weeks because he did not perform at a “stable level” in matches and many fans became angry, accusing him for spending too much time with his girlfriend.

Rescued from Myanmar, Chinese actor Wang Xing prepares to fly home

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294285/rescued-myanmar-chinese-actor-wang-xing-prepares-fly-home?utm_source=rss_feed

A Chinese actor who went missing near Myanmar’s border with Thailand and fell victim to a human trafficking network is preparing to board a flight home.

Wang Xing, also known by his stage name Xing Xing, was booked to fly to China from Thailand on Friday night, a week after his ordeal began, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Wang entered the Thai capital Bangkok early on January 3, and lost contact with his friends and family at around 11am on the same day in the Mae Sot area in northwestern Thailand, according to a message posted by his girlfriend on Chinese social media late Sunday evening.

Mae Sot borders Myanmar’s Myawaddy, a city notorious as a fraud hub.

Before arriving in Thailand, Wang was invited to act in a film in Thailand by someone who posed as the associate director of the production, according to Wang’s girlfriend, identified only by her surname Kang.

He was led through Thai immigration by someone claiming to be a production crew member, and driven to Mae Sot, about 500km (310 miles) from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the post said.

After losing contact with Wang, Kang sought help from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok and the consulate in Chiang Mai. She also reported Wang missing to the police in Bangkok.

Wang was finally located by Thai immigration authorities on Tuesday, and was returned to Thailand the same day.

Wang said he realised he was kidnapped after he crossed a river into Myanmar and noticed the rudimentary living conditions, Thai police inspector general Thatchai Pitaneelaboot told state news agency Xinhua on Thursday.

Thatchai said the force quickly located Wang after receiving a request for help from the Chinese side, adding that the investigation went smoothly because the vehicle carrying him drove directly to the border, making the route straightforward.

“But other cases might be more complex, as they might involve changing vehicles, drivers, and direction, making it difficult to trace,” he added.

The incident prompted an outpouring of reports on similar cases on Chinese social media platforms, with many users claiming their friends and relatives had also disappeared near the Myanmar border after being tricked into travelling to Thailand.

Among the missing is believed to be Chinese model Yang Zeqi, who entered Thailand on December 20 after answering a recruitment ad for actors in Thailand in a group chat, according to a Weibo user claiming to be his cousin.

Yang went missing the next day near the Myanmar border, the social media user, surnamed Mu, said.

He made a video call to his mother on December 29, which showed him in poor health with obvious scars near his eyes. The call ended in six minutes and he has not been contacted since.

Both cases pointed to a person known as “Yan Shiliu”, who posed as an employee of a Thai entertainment company.

Mu said on Thursday that Yang’s father would fly to Bangkok to file a report with Thai police.

Chinese software firm Yonyou picks former senior SAP executive as new president

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3294235/chinese-software-firm-yonyou-picks-former-senior-sap-executive-new-president?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese enterprise software company Yonyou Network Technology has named Huang Chenhong – former global executive vice-president at German rival SAP – its new president, as the mainland’s tech sector scoops up talent from multinational firms that are scaling back operations in the country.

Beijing-based Yonyou, a leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and cloud services provider in China, said in a statement that Huang’s leadership would help the company “capture strategic opportunities in digital transformation, the rise of domestic technology solutions and the global expansion of Chinese enterprises”.

Huang, who had also served as president of SAP Greater China, left the German firm last October after the enterprise software giant announced plans to restructure its operations in the region. That entailed a merger of SAP’s Greater China business and Asia-Pacific and Japan unit to form a new Asia-Pacific regional operation from January 1 this year.

Yonyou’s appointment of Huang reflects a growing trend in China’s technology industry, where domestic companies recruit highly experienced executives from multinational firms to bolster their industry expertise.

Earlier this month, Hua Hong Semiconductor – China’s second-largest chip foundry – signed up ex-Intel global vice-president Bai Peng to a three-year contract as its new president, while Beijing Electronic Digital and Intelligence named former IBM Greater China chief technology officer Xie Dong in a similar role in the state-owned cloud computing firm.

Huang also previously served as chairman and president of Dell Greater China, president for Greater China at APC by Schneider Electric, a manufacturer of uninterruptible power supplies, and president at network technology firm Tellabs China. He earned his PhD in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University in the US, after receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fudan University in Shanghai.

He replaced Chen Qiangbing, who held the position of Yonyou president for less than a year after the company’s billionaire founder, Wang Wenjing, stepped down from that role in January 2024. Wang, who founded Yonyou in 1998, remains the company’s chairman.

Yonyou said in its statement that it is well-positioned to serve the increasing number of Chinese companies seeking domestic enterprise-management solutions. Its ERP software is used by organisations to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project management, compliance and supply chain operations.

The company’s international operations serve more than 1,000 companies overseas, of which 40 per cent are Chinese enterprises. Its cloud computing services enable enterprises to manage or distribute over the internet a range of software and other digital resources as an on-demand service, just like electricity from a power grid.

In 2023, Shanghai-listed Yonyou reported its first loss in 22 years. As its losses deepened in 2024, Yonyou’s share price plunged 35 per cent.

Indonesia to keep pushing for South China Sea code of conduct, expand defence ties

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294211/indonesia-keep-pushing-south-china-sea-code-conduct-expand-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed

Indonesia will expand its existing defence partnerships and step up its handling of strategic issues impacting its sovereignty, including maritime security and the safety of sea passage and fisheries, its foreign minister said on Friday.

Sugiono, who uses only one name, said Indonesia would continue to advocate for the completion of a code of conduct between the Southeast Asian bloc Asean and China on the South China Sea and prioritise Asean’s centrality.

Indonesia considers itself not a party in disputes over the sea, a waterway crucial to global trade, but has recently been tested by forays by China’s coastguard into its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, putting it at odds with Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, with disputes frequent over the conduct in their EEZs of China’s massive fleet of coastguard. China insists it is operating lawfully in its territory.

“In the geostrategic sense, Indonesia is close to a source of regional conflict, the South China Sea. Indonesia’s position remains prioritising conflict resolution that is peaceful,” Sugiono said, adding Indonesia would keep pushing for constructive dialogue on a code of conduct.

Regional commitments to draft a code were first made in 2002 but talks towards its creation only started in 2017 and progress has been limited, with years spent discussing the framework for negotiations and numerous agreements signed to expedite the process.

Thorny issues include whether the code will be legally binding, enforceable and based on international maritime law, under which a 2016 international arbitration panel ruled Beijing’s expansive territorial claims had no legal basis.

China does not recognise the ruling.

In a wide-ranging speech setting out Indonesia’s foreign policy that was attended by the diplomatic community, Sugiono also said Indonesia would prioritise completion of talks on free-trade agreements and expand its international trade, including with non-traditional partners in Africa and the Pacific.

He said Indonesia’s joining of the Brics grouping – which includes Russia, China, Brazil, India, Iran, Egypt and South Africa – was not a deviation from Indonesia’s international position, but an underlining of its free and active foreign policy.

He also said Indonesia would never abandon its support for the Palestinian cause, calling for a ceasefire and accountability for Israel over its role in the Gaza conflict.

Sugiono was appointed in October when new President Prabowo Subianto took office.

China catches foreign spy taking photos of island military site: report

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294217/china-catches-foreign-spy-taking-photos-island-military-site-report?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s counter-espionage agency has caught a foreign spy trying to take photos of military facilities off the country’s coast, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday.

The spy and an assistant posed as tourists to visit an island to gather intelligence on sensitive military facilities, the report said, citing security authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang.

The authorities had been tipped off that foreign intelligence agencies planned to send spies to the island and intervened, confiscating several SD memory cards that contained photos of military sites and sensitive areas.

The Ministry of State Security’s Zhejiang branch said the two first took a taxi to tour local attractions but then headed to areas near the military zones.

“We observed the vehicle making several rounds on the island. When approaching the military areas, they slowed down, rolled down the windows, and took note of the location and features of the targets,” the report quoted an officer as saying.

The spy and his assistant had “faced legal consequences”, CCTV said, without saying or where the incident took place.

Zhejiang province faces the East China Sea, and hosts one of the major naval bases of the Chinese military’s East Sea Fleet.

Since launching a social media account in August, 2023, the ministry has warned frequently about what it says are threats to national security, often highlighting risks related to leaking military secrets.

In December 2023, the ministry said it detected a foreign company trying to gather intelligence from a naval base in an unidentified coastal city. As with this week’s case, it did not say when the alleged incident happened or which country had sent the spies. It also did not say if any arrests had been made.

The ministry has also warned military enthusiasts not to photograph classified equipment, saying the images could potentially expose technical details and progress in military equipment, and be used by “hostile foreign forces” to analyse combat effectiveness.

They could also put defence planning at risk by revealing key information such as the location of deployments and frequency of use of the military equipment, it said.

In 2021, a man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for illegally obtaining state secrets after taking photos of a sensitive military nature near a dual-use airport in Jiaxing in Zhejiang.

The same year, a military enthusiast was sentenced to one year in prison on multiple charges of illegally obtaining state secrets after secretly photographing the Fujian aircraft carrier with a remote high-definition camera well before its official launch in June 2022.

China pressures EU for talks to resolve ‘unfair’ trade barriers

https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3294243/china-pressures-eu-talks-resolve-unfair-trade-barriers?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing has accused the European Union of imposing unfair “trade and investment barriers”, but has refrained from immediate retaliation as the two sides continue talks to resolve the dispute.

China’s Commerce Ministry announced on Thursday that it had concluded the EU’s recent investigations into Chinese enterprises under its Foreign Subsidies Regulation were “unfair and non-transparent”.

Brussels launched an investigation to determine whether Chinese government subsidies were undermining competition in the European market last year, prompting China to start its own probe in a tit-for-tat response.

The Chinese ministry’s statement did not disclose whether China would take any retaliatory measures in light of the probe’s findings.

Through bilateral consultations, China will request the EU to adjust or modify its practices to “provide an open, fair, just, non-discriminatory, and predictable environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Europe,” a commerce ministry spokesman told a media briefing on the same day.

The probe’s findings will provide China with evidence it can use during negotiations with the EU and a reasonable basis for potential retaliatory actions, said He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think tank.

China and the EU have been locked in a long-running dispute over the level of government subsidies received by many Chinese enterprises, with the EU arguing the subsidies may provide China’s firms with an unfair advantage.

The EU has not only used anti-subsidy rules as grounds to hike tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, but also to investigate Chinese companies participating in public procurement bids in the EU market.

After the FSR came into effect in 2023, the European Commission launched its first case under the rules last February, investigating a subsidiary of China’s largest train manufacturer, CRRC, for its bidding activities in Bulgaria.

The company, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive, later withdrew from the project, and the investigation was closed without yielding any conclusive findings.

In a document outlining the probe’s findings, China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that the FSR exhibited “selective enforcement” by specifically targeting Chinese companies and products.

It also said the FSR had “vague” criteria for foreign subsidies, which mistakenly classify normal practices – such as VAT refunds – as government subsidies.

Lea Zuber, the EU’s competition spokeswoman, rejected this characterisation of the FSR. “All companies irrespective of the country of head office or nationality have this regulation applied equally to them,” she said on Thursday.

Olof Gill, the EU trade spokesman, also said in a statement that the FSR was designed to ensure fair competition and a level playing field across companies and member states within the EU, by allowing the European Commission to address distortions caused by subsidies granted by non-EU governments.

Foreign subsidies likely to distort the internal market are those which are improving the unduly competitive position of a company, such as “when a non-EU government would give unlimited guarantee for debts to a company,” the statement said.

China will seek to resolve the dispute with the EU via consultations before resorting to retaliatory measures or bringing the case to the World Trade Organisation for adjudication, said He, who previously worked as a commercial counsellor at the Chinese consulates in New York and San Francisco.

After the EU announced additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last October, China’s response was relatively restrained, with the country imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of brandy originating in the EU.

Following the EV tariffs, China said it advocated resolving trade conflicts through dialogue and was conducting a “new phase of consultations” with the European bloc.

China is likely to experience a decline in exports in 2025 regardless of the outcome of its trade dispute with the EU, He predicted.

Chinese exporters will face challenges in the US market after Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office, while countries like Mexico and Vietnam have come under pressure to refrain from serving as transhipment hubs for Chinese manufacturers trying to evade US tariffs, he noted.

China’s exports to Europe are also likely to decline from last year due to the ongoing trade frictions, according to He.

While China’s exports to Asean, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are projected to increase, the growth will not be enough to compensate for the lost market share in developed economies, he said.

“China will persist in advancing trade with the Global South, yet it remains critical to stabilise trade connections with major partners like the US and the EU.”

Enrico Colombatto, a professor of economics at the University of Turin and chairman of the scientific committee at the Institute for Research in Economic and Fiscal Issues (IREF) in Paris, echoed a similar sentiment.

“If Asean does not solve China’s export problems, Beijing will have to strengthen its ties with Europe,” Colombatto wrote in an article released on Wednesday.

Yet, Colombatto predicted a murky outlook for China-EU trade relations in 2025, as Europe grappled with the impact of China’s economic slowdown, trade barriers and any additional harm stemming from Washington’s policies.

Meanwhile, European producers are likely to expedite their transition to more favourable entrepreneurial environments, primarily in the US and potentially Southeast Asia, he added.

“This phenomenon will further weaken Europe’s productive capabilities.”

China’s Fujian carrier shows signs of heavier flight deck activity after latest sea trial

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3294258/chinas-fujian-carrier-shows-signs-heavier-flight-deck-activity-after-latest-sea-trial?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s most advanced carrier the Fujian has returned from its latest sea trial with tyre marks on its deck that suggest more intensive aircraft tests than its previous voyage.

Analysts believe those marks are probably the result of “touch-and-go” landings – where planes touch down on the flight deck and then take off again immediately – conducted during its sixth and latest sea trial.

They have yet to see clear signs of catapult-assisted launches – a critical milestone for demonstrating the carrier’s advanced capabilities.

China’s third carrier returned to port on Tuesday after its latest 11-day sea trial, according to images circulating on Chinese social media.

The photos appear to show signs of heavier use compared with the previous trial last month, with more tyre marks on the deck that suggest more landings were carried out this time.

The marks may have been either the result of a touch-and-go landing or a full landing where the plane is brought to a halt, according to military analyst Fu Qianshao, but he said there was no evidence to confirm the latter manoeuvre had been practised.

“A touch-and-go is the first step toward an arrested landing, and without successful arrested landings, the subsequent electromagnetic catapult launches cannot be fully tested,” Fu said.

The Fujian was launched in June 2022 and it is China’s first aircraft carrier to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults, which are intended to allow more frequent plane launches.

The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford is the only other aircraft carrier on the planet today with this advanced equipment, although more Ford class carriers are in the pipeline.

In November China unveiled two aircraft that may end up being used on the Fujian: the J-15T, a version of an existing fighter that is specially adapted for catapult launches, and the fifth generation J-35 stealth fighter, which sources have confirmed can be modified for naval use.

Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the tyre marks from the latest mission may indicate catapult launches or touch-and-go landings for planes with heavier payloads.

“Both possibilities are realistic ones, or indeed it could be a combination of both,” Davis said.

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, said it is not possible to be 100 per cent sure what the latest evidence for flight deck operations means.

“My first instinctive guess would of course have to be the J-15s, since the J-35 navalised variant remains likely in prototype stage, and the KJ-600 [a cargo and airborne early warning and control plane] isn’t known to have been brought on board the carrier despite it being observed flying in mainland skies on supposed trials,” Koh said.

“At least Open Source Intelligence sources appear to have put the J-15T as part of the latest voyage hence the likelihood of catapult launch trials is there.”

China’s defence ministry and state media have yet to release any details about the trial.

China hit record trade barriers in 2024 as overcapacity fears spread to developing world

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3294204/china-hit-record-trade-barriers-2024-overcapacity-fears-spread-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed

Even as its massive export machine kept churning out goods in 2024, China slammed into a record number of trade barriers erected last year as more developing countries joined the chorus of naysayers voicing concerns over China’s overcapacity conundrum.

Its trading partners announced a total of 160 trade investigations into made-in-China products – a sharp increase from 69 cases in 2023, according to the Post’s calculations based on data from China Trade Remedies Information, a platform under the Ministry of Commerce.

The statistics tallied new trade disputes initiated last year, excluding the high-profile European Union probe into China’s electric vehicles, which had been announced in October 2023.

Cases involving both anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations by the same country against the same products were categorised as a single case.

If including cases in which China was one of the countries being investigated, the number further rose to 169, from 79 a year earlier.

Twenty-eight trading partners launched investigations into Chinese imports last year, up from 18 in 2023. Notably, the list included more developing countries, such as Thailand, Peru and Pakistan.

Liang Yan, an economist at Willamette University in Oregon, said that many of these investigations were pre-emptive measures by developing countries to prevent a surge in Chinese imports, driven by concerns that China might redirect exports from the United States to their markets.

“Countries such as Brazil and Turkey raise tariffs to incentivise more Chinese EV-related direct investment,” she said.

India initiated the most investigations into Chinese imports last year, accounting for nearly a quarter of the cases. The EU launched 21 cases, compared with the nine cases it initiated in 2023.

Brazil ranked third in the number of investigations into Chinese imports, initiating 18 cases last year – a fivefold increase compared with 2023. It was followed by the US with 15 cases.

Most investigations were initiated since April 2024, following the White House’s accusations that China was dumping excess production capacity onto its trading partners.

Most investigations focused on anti-dumping cases related to products from industries such as iron and steel, as well as chemical production, which Liang suggested were likely a consequence of China’s overcapacity, driven by a slump in its domestic real estate sector.

“‘Overcapacity’ may be an overstatement, as the capacity utilisation and domestic sales growth of Chinese products don’t support the ‘overcapacity’ argument, but it’s the competition that has driven down industrial output prices and industrial profits,” Liang said.

Overcapacity concerns were flagged by China’s top leaders in December 2023, when they warned that “overcapacity in some industries” was among the major economic challenges they expected to face in 2024 – a prediction that proved prescient in light of the increased trade investigations against China.

Liang said Beijing will seek to resolve these trade disputes and prevent future such frictions through negotiations, retaliatory measures, diversifying export destinations, and increasing investments in overseas markets following next week’s inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump.

“It is very uncertain if Trump will impose a high, across-the-board tariff on Chinese imports, but its negative impact should not be overstated, because the US’ share of China’s exports dropped from 19 per cent to 13 per cent, and China has been actively diversifying foreign markets and boosting domestic demand,” she said.

Chinese actor Wang Xing rescued, Tibet earthquake, dementia tests: SCMP’s 7 highlights

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3294016/chinese-actor-wang-xing-rescued-tibet-earthquake-dementia-tests-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

A Chinese actor reported missing at the Thailand-Myanmar border has been found after fears that he might have entered a Myanmese city known as an online scam hub. Wang Xing was rescued on Tuesday afternoon, the Chinese embassy in Bangkok confirmed in a statement on its website.

The death toll from a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in western China’s Tibet autonomous region continued to rise on Tuesday night, with at least 126 dead and scores more injured. Authorities in Tibet sent hundreds of emergency rescue and medical staff, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

A viral video capturing Hong Kong’s Kwun Tong Promenade’s reputed role as the “Lan Kwai Fong of Gen Z” during a countdown celebration has offered a glimpse into the area’s vibrant nightlife filled with spontaneous connections and intimate moments with strangers.

A Philippine lawmaker’s call for an additional US military site to help counter foreign intrusions and potential resource exploitation following the recovery of a submarine drone allegedly from China has drawn mixed reactions from analysts and politicians.

For more than three years in the Tiangong space station, astronauts have been conducting a seemingly mundane experiment. It involves striking alloy particles that are suspended in a vacuum chamber with a laser and then recording the subtle changes that occur as the particles cool. The experiment has been going for so long that the equipment and samples have been replaced three times. But it has been worth it.

A Hong Kong customs officer has been arrested on suspicion of tampering with a vehicle after he tried to stop a motorcycle apparently fleeing from police, narrowly missing the rider who later crashed and died.

Is it dementia? A popular neurologist uses five simple tests of cognitive function to help gauge the health of a patient’s brain.

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Family of Chinese tourists killed in Malaysia wall collapse seeks US$378,356 compensation

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3294165/family-chinese-tourists-killed-malaysia-wall-collapse-seeks-us378356-compensation?utm_source=rss_feed

A family from China is demanding 1.7 million ringgit (US$378,356) in damages for the deaths of a father and daughter after an uprooted tree and part of a wall fell on their vehicle in the Pinang Peranakan Mansion car park in Malaysia’s Penang state last September.

Their lawyer Ng Kian Nam said the family has initiated legal action against five parties, namely the museum operator, proprietor, tree owner, local tourist agency and tour guide/driver engaged by the duo during their trip.

“The family has authorised us to also write to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to seek an explanation why it only issued a notice of nuisance under the Local Government Act 1976 to the tree owner after the incident but not before that; and whether the said parties had submitted any official complaints to the council of the risk of the tree falling.

“The main cause of action will be based on tort, the Civil Law Act 1956, breach of duty of care, trade custom and statutory duties,” he told a press conference in Bayan Baru on Friday.

The victims were Liu Zhu, 69, and his daughter Liu Xinxin, 36.

They leave behind Xinxin’s mother, husband, sibling and 11-year-old child, Ng added.

“The father was a retiree receiving a retirement allowance of 3,200 yuan (US$436) monthly, while the daughter was an employee with a monthly salary of 12,000 yuan (US$1,636) and they were among the main breadwinners in their family.

“As such [the family] wishes to claim apology and total damages of 1.7 million ringgit against these parties in general and special damages,” the lawyer added.

Ng said he took up the case on a pro bono and public interest basis to increase awareness of the importance of maintaining the safety of public areas in Malaysia and to uphold Penang’s tourism reputation.

It was reported that on September 18, a man and his daughter were killed in the car park of Pinang Peranakan Mansion in Lebuh Gereja, George Town.

A wall with the tree in question growing off it had collapsed onto the car that the tourists were in at the time, killing them on the spot.

This story was first published by

China-born gene-editing star scientist Zhang Feng recognised with top US prize

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3294185/china-born-gene-editing-star-scientist-zhang-feng-recognised-top-us-prize?utm_source=rss_feed

China-born biologist Zhang Feng has been awarded the United States’ highest honour for technological achievement in a ceremony at the White House, alongside eight other recipients.

Zhang, an MIT professor and a pioneer in gene-editing technology, received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in recognition of his work developing the revolutionary gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9.

According to the citation from the US Patent and Trademark Office, which administers the awards, the gene editing technology has widespread applications in agriculture and health research.

“Zhang’s innovations are fundamentally transforming our collective health and well-being and have contributed to the development of treatments for sickle cell disease, cancer, type 1 diabetes, and more,” it said.

Established by Congress in 1980, the award recognises American innovators whose vision, intellect, creativity, and determination have strengthened the US economy and improved the country’s quality of life, according to a White House statement.

The medal was presented by the White House director of science and technology policy Arati Prabhakar, who also awarded the parallel National Medal of Science to 14 laureates this year.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology – which allows scientists to precisely cut and modify DNA at specific locations within a genome – was discovered by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier in 2012.

It uses a guide RNA to target the desired DNA sequence and the Cas9 enzyme as molecular scissors.

Zhang is widely regarded as a fellow pioneer for his critical role in adapting and optimising the technology for use in mammalian cells, which has significantly expanded its applications in medicine, agriculture and research.

The acclaimed scientist was given a rock star welcome when he made a rare public appearance in China last year, speaking to a packed lecture hall at prestigious Peking University.

Zhang met enthusiastic admirers and posed with them for selfies after sharing his latest research findings and personal insights into his own journey into biochemistry – an interest that began in seventh grade when he saw the film Jurassic Park.

Zhang was born in Hebei province, northern China, in 1981. He was 11 years old when he and his mother left the country for the US, where they settled down in Des Moines, Iowa.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard University in 2004, followed by a PhD in chemistry from Stanford University in 2009. By age 34, he was a tenured professor at MIT’s Broad Institute.

Beyond CRISPR-Cas9, Zhang has made key major contributions to optogenetics, a neuroscience technique that uses light to monitor and control cells in the brain with high precision.

Previous accolades include the Alan T. Waterman Award, the Albany Medical Centre Prize, and the Canada Gairdner International Award.

Zhang is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Inventors.

China woman claims property row led sister to distribute ‘solicitation cards’ with her photo

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3293135/china-woman-claims-property-row-led-sister-distribute-solicitation-cards-her-photo?utm_source=rss_feed

A woman in Beijing has attracted attention for calling the police after she found “solicitation cards” made by her sister listing her personal information as the pair were involved in a property dispute.

The woman, surnamed Li who is in her 50s, said in a video released at the end of December that she picked up some sex service advertisement cards in her residential community which showed her name, phone number and a picture of her with face touched up by using a beautifying filter.

“At your service 24 hours a day. No limit on the time and you can pay only when you are satisfied,” the ad reads, along with some more lewd language describing the services on offer, Daxiang News reported.

The cards were distributed in the corridors of residential buildings and stuck on walls and lamp posts, according to the woman.

Li claimed the card was made by her elderly sister in an act of revenge because they were fighting over the ownership of a house.

It is unclear what evidence the woman has to support her allegation that her sister was behind the cards.

“Many strangers called me in the evening because of the cards,” she said in the video, adding that she has reported the case to the police in the Mentougou District of the city.

Police officers have cleaned up the cards left on the street, as an investigation continues, the report said.

In another video shared on December 30, Li said both her parents have passed away.

“If they were alive, they would have died with anger,” she said. “Now I am famous on the internet. I don’t know whether it is me or my elderly sister who is more filled with shame,” said Li.

People on mainland social media were captivated by the story. About 10,000 comments were left on one major social media platform alone.

“Are you sure she is your true elderly sister?” asked one online observer.

“This case demonstrates again that family bonds vanish when people are in conflict over money and property,” said another.

“Just give those strangers your sister’s mobile number,” suggested another.

Family members bickering over property often make headlines in China.

Last year, a court in northwestern Gansu province heard a lawsuit filed by an old man against his adult son.

The father said years ago, he paid all the money to buy a flat which was registered under his son’s name. Later the father asked the son to transfer the property ownership to him, but was rejected.

The court supported the father’s request.

[Sport] Reeves heads to China amid market trouble at home

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PA Media

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Chinese cancel Thai holidays as actor Wang Xing’s kidnapping fuels safety fears

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3294093/chinese-cancel-thai-holidays-actor-wang-xings-kidnapping-fuels-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed

Many Chinese travellers planning to visit Thailand for the upcoming Lunar New Year have expressed concerns on social media this week and posed blunt questions.

Is Chiang Mai safe? How can I convince the travel agency to refund expenses if I want to cancel my trip to Thailand?

The anxiety has been fuelled by a recent incident involving Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went missing upon arriving in Thailand for work last Friday.

Wang, a relatively unknown actor in China until his disappearance went viral, was reported missing after travelling to the popular tourist destination for a shoot.

Thai authorities took swift action amid high public scrutiny, rescuing Wang from a fraudulent online scam operation in a Myanmar city bordering Thailand on Tuesday. Deemed a victim of human trafficking, Wang appeared disoriented and had been shaved bald, according to images released by authorities.

The incident soon dampened Chinese tourists’ enthusiasm for travelling to the Southeast Asian destination as the annual Lunar New Year travel rush approaches.

On Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, or “Little Red Book”, searching “How do I cancel my Thailand trip?” yielded more than 380,000 posts on Thursday.

Shawna Li, a Chinese woman from Zhejiang province, had planned to travel to Thailand with three female friends for the Spring Festival holiday from January 28 to February 4, but after learning of Wang’s case, they unanimously agreed to cancel their trip.

“We changed our mind because of basic safety concerns, especially since we are four women travelling together,” she said. “I’ve never been to Thailand, which people say is affordable and fun. I used to think it might be a bit unsafe, but not to this extent.”

A manager at a physical store in Shanghai of China’s leading online travel agent, Ctrip, noted that Wang’s experience has sparked a decrease in bookings to Thailand.

So far, the location has only one group tour to Thailand that is set to depart before the end of the month, with just a dozen participants. “In the short term, this will certainly affect travel confidence,” she said.

Wang, who had been lured by a Chinese stranger who claimed to represent a well-known Thai entertainment company and offered him work, was transported to the Myanmar border and subsequently crossed into Myanmar’s Myawaddy, a city known as a hub for scam outfits, through an unofficial border point, police said.

Before his rescue, Wang, who is expected to return to China soon, reportedly received two days of training in telecom scams targeting other Chinese victims.

The quick action from Thai police followed calls by Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to crack down on such crimes and contain potential damage to Thailand’s tourism sector after news about Wang’s disappearance became widespread.

Speaking with the press following Wang’s rescue on Tuesday, a Thai official was caught on camera asking the actor to express willingness to travel to Thailand again.

Wang, wearing a black cap to conceal his face, complied, stating in both English and Chinese: “Thailand is safe, and I will come back again.”

Visits by Chinese tourists in Thailand might fall by 10 to 20 per cent during the upcoming holiday season due to safety concerns among travellers following the case, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday, quoting an estimation from the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

With 6.73 million arrivals, Chinese comprised Thailand’s largest tourism market last year, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese citizens have been reportedly lured to telecom-fraud syndicates operating in northern Myanmar to participate in their fraudulent schemes against residents in China.

Chinese authorities said in 2023 that as many as 100,000 people in Myawaddy alone were believed to be engaged in telecom fraud, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Chinese firms ‘going global’ learn important lesson: integrate, or die

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3294089/chinese-firms-going-global-learn-important-lesson-integrate-or-die?utm_source=rss_feed

This is the second in a looking at efforts by Chinese companies to step out of their comfort zone and expand abroad amid mounting domestic competition, and how this has resulted in learning curves, labour scandals and more diverse supply chains. The first part can be read .

After a year of travel in search of overseas venues for his water equipment business, William Hong came away with two words at top of mind: “localisation” and “altruism”.

The denizen of Dongguan – China’s southern manufacturing hub – has been on a journey spanning continents, with stops in Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and South America. But no matter where he went, even countries with warm official relations, worries over Chinese investment and products were omnipresent.

“Export value alone can no longer make overseas markets open to such a large number of Chinese companies and products,” said Hong, who began his career as an emigrant labourer before starting Dongguan Aimeike Valve, a producer of technologically enabled water and electricity meters.

“We need to change our thinking and bring an ‘altruistic’ approach to foreign trade,” he added. “It used to be an empty slogan, but after spending time on the ground, I have come to realise its truth.”

As the country maintains heavy production of goods even while trade barriers appear poised to intensify, many of China’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like Aimeike must step out of their comfort zone. Previously content to enjoy the dividends from China’s undisputed status as the “world’s factory”, they are seeking new fortunes overseas.

And on their adventures abroad, they are realising the importance of integrating into local ecosystems. This requires letting go of a big slice of profits to keep things running smoothly – a lesson from their Japanese peers, learned in that country’s expansion wave beginning in the 1980s.

Hong said many of the failures he faced in overseas bidding came from not making offers in tune with local needs.

“Countries not only want you to provide products, but also help build infrastructure,” he said. “This is a big challenge for Chinese SMEs.”

Japan – which went through a similar economic growth pattern to China a generation ago – has, through five decades of its enterprises “going global”, accumulated rich experience on the matter.

Of particular relevance to China is the surge in overseas expansion from Japan’s SMEs, researchers from the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) said in a report in September.

Through international investment, Japan has managed to create the equivalent of almost half of its economy outside its borders, a scale the researchers noted would serve as a vital reference point for Chinese enterprises.

Firms should learn from Japan’s “produce-where-you-sell” model, the report said, and adopt a “holistic strategy” that emphasises “creating value for the local community”.

Hong, the Dongguan businessman, treasures what might for many be a bad memory: a failure to secure orders worth millions in Mozambique in 2022.

The local government preferred joint ventures that could create local jobs over simple importers. Ultimately, the contract went to a competitor with an established branch in Africa.

“Honestly, I was frustrated at the time,” he said. “But I also realised that if Chinese companies, especially SMEs, don’t change their traditional mindset of only selling products, they won’t be able to establish a foothold in overseas markets. Being part of local supply chains is the path forward.”

The sudden onset of trade tensions between China and the US – particularly the restricted supply of core components like high-end computer chips – limited capacity for mass production and forced Hong to take a look at markets outside the US, especially emerging economies.

“These markets do not have as strong a demand for cutting-edge technologies as Europe and the US, but they do have a need for mid-range intelligent products,” he said. “We can find new opportunities there.”

Liu Kaiming, founder of the Institute of Contemporary Observation – a non-governmental organisation which works with global brands to supervise supply chain conditions in hundreds of China’s factories – said when it comes to developing countries, “if Chinese companies fail to create wealth and job opportunities for local communities but instead disrupt existing economic ecosystems and lifestyles, it often leads to dissatisfaction and even resistance.”

To succeed in the global market, he added, Chinese companies need to pay significant “tuition fees” to transform their long-held perceptions and experiences rooted in the conditions of the domestic market.

“A well-known Chinese cross-border e-commerce company formed a team of over 400 people last year to address ethical and legal issues in overseas markets,” Liu said. “This shows Chinese companies are still in the early stages of investing overseas, and generally face challenges adapting to the international business environment. When venturing abroad, companies need to adapt to different cultures, systems and rules.”

According to a survey conducted last year by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, nearly 90 per cent of polled enterprises from mainland China indicated they plan to “go global” in the next three years, with more than 70 per cent expressing an interest in emerging markets.

Many named countries and regions involved with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal and China’s Belt and Road Initiative for greater connectivity through infrastructure as areas rife with opportunity.

But according to Hong, Chinese companies were still not the first choice for potential partners. “Even in Central Asia, which I thought was very friendly and close to China, customers remain quite cautious about Chinese companies,” he said.

For instance, Hong said, customers in Kyrgyzstan tend to favour products from neighbouring Kazakhstan and are hesitant about importing Chinese goods, fearing it might undermine local industries.

“Before meeting me, the customers contacted many globally recognised companies, but the offer was either too high or [the companies] were not interested in smaller business,” he said. “In the end, only our products and technology fit their needs best.”

That was Hong’s conclusion after carrying dozens of kilograms in samples from China’s southern Guangdong province across Central Asia last month, sweating profusely while meeting with prospective customers.

There are more than 52 million MSEs like Hong’s in China, according to the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Chinese tech news outlet 36kr reported more than 750,000 of the country’s enterprises have launched overseas operations.

Going global with Chinese capital but leaving behind Chinese habits is essential for companies to thrive overseas, said Gao Zhendong, a supply chain specialist and secretary-in-general of the China-Vietnam Industrial Service Alliance.

Those that integrate deeply into local supply chains have a higher chance of success, he said.

Hong said his many years of travel have led to a shift in strategy.

“Instead of focusing solely on selling products, we aimed to become their ally to ease their worries that Chinese production capacity might dominate their markets,” he said. “If customers want to scale up their operations in the local market but lack a strong supply chain, we position ourselves as that backbone, not just an importer.”

He said his business philosophy can be expressed in simple mathematical terms: for every million his customer earns, his company would ask for only 10 or 20 per cent, with the remainder going to the local client in full.

This, he said, helps build trust and partnerships – and is what he credits for winning bids on several projects.

“We must downplay ourselves to empower local businesses. This is how we can establish deep roots overseas.”

Chinese cadres urged to splash the cash to boost consumption ahead of Lunar New Year

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294075/chinese-cadres-urged-splash-cash-boost-consumption-ahead-lunar-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed

An official in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing has called on Chinese cadres to lead by example in boosting consumption, as Beijing counts on domestic demand to offset external shocks when Donald Trump assumes the US presidency for a second time.

“We must lead in consumption, promote consumption and guide consumption,” Gao Hongbo, party secretary of Chongqing’s Rongchang district, said at its economic work meeting on Monday, according to a video released on the district’s official social media account.

“I hope everyone here buys a new set of clothes before the Lunar New Year – not just for yourself, but also for your family members and children.”

He also encouraged officials to dine out with their families on weekends, citing the district’s average restaurant bill for such occasions of 60 to 100 yuan (US$8.18 to US$13.64) a head.

“If 10,000 people do this, it could generate 1 million yuan in revenue for small business owners [in the catering sector] in a week,” Gao said.

His call comes as Beijing steps up efforts to boost consumption, a top priority on this year’s economic agenda, as reviving the country’s sluggish domestic demand has become more urgent amid renewed tariff threats from Trump, who will take office on January 20.

The National Development and Reform Commission – China’s top economic planning agency – and the Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday an expansion of a trade-in scheme to include four more home appliance categories: microwave ovens, dishwashers, rice cookers and water purifiers.

And under a renewed programme, consumers buying new mobile phones, tablets or smartwatches priced below 6,000 yuan will be eligible for a subsidy of up to 15 per cent. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one item per category, capped at 500 yuan per item.

According to the authorities, the central government has allocated 81 billion yuan for the consumer goods trade-in programme this year to support its continuation across the country.

NDRC head Zheng Shanjie wrote in an article for the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily that the commission will “launch targeted actions to boost consumption” in the year ahead.

“We will work on increasing people’s incomes, reducing their burdens, enriching supply, easing restrictions and improving the consumption environment,” Zheng said.

“[We aim to] integrate efforts to promote consumption with improving livelihoods, driving growth in the quantity, quality and efficiency of consumption.”

Gao, the Chongqing official, also called on businesses to raise wages for their employees.

“Our workers are diligent and hardworking,” he said. “We hope that social organisations and private enterprises can … within their means, offer higher salaries or bonuses to employees during the Lunar New Year.”

Bloomberg reported last month that China has raised the basic salaries of many government employees by at least 500 yuan a month to stimulate consumption.

Germany charges 3 with spying on naval tech for China

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3294134/germany-charges-3-spying-naval-tech-china?utm_source=rss_feed

German prosecutors said on Thursday they had charged three people suspected of supplying Chinese intelligence with information on maritime technology with potential military uses.

The three German nationals, named only as Herwig F., Ina F. and Thomas R., were accused of “having worked for a Chinese intelligence service”, the federal prosecutor’s office said.

From 2017, Thomas R. had “acted as an agent for an employee of the Chinese intelligence service MSS based in China”, prosecutors said in a statement.

The suspect is said to have made contact with married couple Herwig F. and Ina F., who ran a company in the western city of Düsseldorf.

Together they are accused of obtaining “information on innovative technologies that could be used for military purposes”.

To this end, the couple used their company to make contact with other businesses and scientific institutions, prosecutors said. Between February 2017 and April 2024, “they repeatedly collected information that could in particular be useful for expanding China’s naval combat power”.

The material gathered included information on “boat engines, sonar systems, aircraft protection systems, motors for armoured vehicles and drones that can be used for military purposes”.

The information was then said to have been passed back to China via Thomas R.

In one case, the couple are said to have signed an agreement with a German university to provide a “knowledge transfer” to China.

The first phase of this agreement was the preparation of a study for a Chinese “contractual partner” on state-of-the-art ship engine technology. Behind the Chinese partner organisation was the MSS employee and the project was financed by Chinese state authorities, prosecutors said.

The three were also accused of purchasing three specialised lasers in Germany, which they exported to China without approval. The lasers were controlled “dual-use” goods that have both civilian and military purposes, prosecutors said.

The group were arrested in April last year and officially charged in December. Thomas R. was being in held in pre-trial detention, while the couple had been released in October following the suspension of their arrest warrant.

Germany has been unsettled in recent years by a number of high-profile cases of alleged spying for foreign powers, such as China and Russia.

A Chinese woman was arrested in October in Germany accused of spying on defence industry installations. The woman allegedly reported to another suspected Chinese spy, Jian G., now under arrest, who worked in the office of a far-right German deputy in the European Parliament.

Police also launched a probe in December against a Chinese man who was reported to have taken photographs at naval bases on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast.

China hacked phones and wants nuclear first strike capability against US: ex-Trump aide

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3294116/china-hacked-phones-and-wants-nuclear-first-strike-capability-against-us-ex-trump-aide?utm_source=rss_feed

A former senior aide to Donald Trump claimed China had tapped the president-elect’s phone, stolen “extraordinary” amounts of data and is preparing for a first-strike nuclear capability against the United States.

H.R. McMaster, Trump’s national security adviser from 2017 to 2018, told a think tank event in Washington on Wednesday that the US has to impose “very significant costs” on China for its “massive cyber intrusions”.

“They listen to President Trump’s phone and everybody around him for six months, right? They’ve stolen extraordinary amounts of data which we found on our telecom networks,” he told the event organised by the Council on Foreign Relations.

“I believe that’s what China is doing, and you might think I’m kind of crazy for saying this, but I think that China is laying the groundwork for a first-strike nuclear capability against the United States.”

First-strike capability refers to the ability to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack in the hope of damaging or destroying an enemy’s nuclear arsenal to limit its ability to retaliate.

McMaster’s claims came two weeks before Trump’s return to the White House and amid growing concerns over China’s expansion of its nuclear stockpile and cyberattacks allegedly linked to Beijing.

It was not clear if the comment about listening to Trump’s calls referred to reports in October suggesting that hackers linked to the Chinese government had targeted Trump’s communications during this year’s election campaign or previous claims that Chinese and Russian spies were listening to his calls during his term in office.

China dismissed the most recent allegations as “malicious speculation”, saying the US has “spread all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats”.

The former lieutenant-general said he had arrived at the conclusion that China was readying for a first-strike capability against the US judging from what China was doing “from a cyber perspective and really developing at least a latent capability to take down our communications networks as well as a massive build-up in their strategic forces”.

He said China’s surveillance and intelligence collection capabilities have focused “quite heavily” on Washington’s strategic forces. “I mean, if that’s the case, we should be quite serious about it,” he warned.

China’s foreign ministry has yet to respond to a request for comment. The country has a no-first use policy for nuclear weapons.

McMaster told the event the US needed to further develop its strategy to counter various forms of “Chinese aggression” and prevent Beijing from “establishing exclusionary areas of primacy across the Indo Pacific and creating new spheres of influence internationally that allow China to rewrite the rules of international discourse in a way that favours their statist economic model and their authoritarian governance model”.

In particular, he suggested that the US needed a combination of “active defence” for its critical infrastructure and an “offensive capability” in areas such as cyberspace and economics and finance.

“If [China is] gonna play this game, we ought to impose very significant costs and maybe exacerbate some of the very significant difficulties they have associated with their economic growth … the massive youth unemployment that they have, the housing crisis, the debt crisis and so forth,” he said.

He added that such action would probably prompt a reaction and suggested that the US should war game different types of retaliation – such as diplomatic, economic and military – and “apply the tools that are available to us in a holistic way”.

Such tools could range from tariffs to other measures already imposed by President Joe Biden such as export controls and the screening of inbound and outbound investments, he said.

He said he favoured a joint “planning effort” by the National Economic Council and National Security Council to “make sure we’re considering the second and third-order effects”.

“Of course, ultimately, you would want to bring in multinational partners, like-minded partners, because it’s really important, I think, for us to not allow China to play us off against each other,” he added.

McMaster said the Biden administration has done “a pretty good job” in this regard, citing efforts to restrict China’s access to advanced chip manufacturing hardware and the Pentagon’s recent decision to place more Chinese companies, including tech giant Tencent and battery maker CATL, on a list of firms it believes work with the People’s Liberation Army.

“I think that this is a competition that will certainly continue under the Trump administration,” he said.

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Trump tariffs will probably be 20% on most Chinese imports, not 60%: Goldman Sachs

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3294138/trump-tariffs-will-probably-be-20-most-chinese-imports-not-60-goldman-sachs?utm_source=rss_feed

Despite campaigning on a vow to impose 60 per cent tariffs on all Chinese imports, US president-elect Donald Trump will probably seek an average of 20 per cent tariffs on most of those, the chief economist of Goldman Sachs said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington, Jan Hatzius of the investment banking giant added that levies might rise to 60 per cent on a limited number of key capital goods, like solar panels, steel and aluminium.

Hatzius noted that China would have a wide range of responses available, should the world’s two largest economies intensify their trade war during Trump’s second administration.

Trump, who is to take office on January 20, had also threatened tariffs of 100 to 200 per cent on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a measure he said could return jobs and manufacturing back to America.

But Hatzius predicted “a modestly benign outcome, with increases in US tariff rates on China averaging about 20 percentage points – as much as 60 percentage points in some areas, but not 60 percentage points across the board”.

“That would be a very inflationary outcome,” Hatzius said.

Consumer products made in China like iPhones and other electronics are likely to be hit with lower tariffs, while capital and intermediary goods covered in Sections 201 and 232 – tariff lists Trump used in his first term – including items like solar panels, steel and aluminium, may rise to 60 per cent.

Trump imposed tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods in his first term. US President Joe Biden added more tariffs on imports worth US$18 billion; those products included EVs, which now already face 100 per cent tariffs. Solar panels from China now face 50 per cent tariffs, while steel and aluminium products face 25 per cent levies.

China, Hatzius said, is prepared for a renewed trade war, and has many tools with which to respond. Likely measures, he said, included export controls, leveraging its bond portfolio, or “making life more difficult for US companies” operating in China.

Last month, for the first time, China explicitly targeted the US with a ban of critical mineral exports that are crucial to the manufacture of semiconductors, including gallium, germanium and antimony.

Beijing took the action to retaliate for Washington’s restrictions on exports to China of chipmaking equipment and high-bandwidth memory chips.

Indeed, in the last two months of Biden’s term, his administration has announced several new trade and tech restrictions targeting China’s hi-tech sector, moves that Trump is expected to continue.

China is also the second-largest holder of US bonds behind Japan, and has been steadily selling off some of its US$760 billion in holdings to reduce dependence on US dollars.

In December, Goldman Sachs forecast China’s GDP growth at 4.5 per cent in 2025, down from 4.9 per cent in 2024.

Hatzius said that, should Trump impose them, the 20 per cent tariffs would drag down China’s GDP by an estimated 70 basis points, or 0.7 per cent.

In a New Year address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the country was expected to reach its GDP target of 5 per cent this year.

China is facing an economic slowdown prompted by weak consumer demand and a sagging housing market, as well as long-term structural issues of population decline. In the past few months, authorities have been rolling out the largest agenda of stimulus measures since the Covid-19 pandemic to revive the economy.