The Wall Street Journal
- China’s Economy Isn’t Out of the Woods, Despite a Strong 2020 — Many see risks if Covid-19 proves hard to contain or consumer confidence doesn’t improve.
- From Lightbulbs to 5G, China Battles West for Control of Vital Technology Standards — Whoever has control of industrial norms for telecommunications, electricity transmission and artificial intelligence is in a position to dominate.
- U.K. Takes Aim at Alleged Chinese Espionage — London has quietly expelled three suspected Chinese spies who posed as journalists.
- China Approves Sinovac Vaccine for Broad Use Against Covid-19 — Regulators give CoronaVac green light for mass inoculation, making it the second coronavirus shot in China to get provisional approval.
- China Charges Journalist With Sending State Secrets Overseas — Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been held in China since Aug. 13 and diplomats have raised concerns about her detention.
- U.S. Trade Balance With China Improves, but Sources of Tension Linger — Exports of goods to China rose 17.1% last year, as Biden looks to reframe economic relations.
- Tesla Summoned by Chinese Regulators on Quality Issues — Regulators say electric car maker must abide by Chinese laws and regulations as consumers complain about quality problems.
- China’s Car Sales Rose 25% in January — It was the strongest growth since September 2016.
The Financial Times
- Beijing charges Australian journalist with leaking state secrets — Cheng Lei worked for Chinese state television and had been held in secret for six months.
- Biden warns China will face ‘extreme competition’ from US — President signals he will maintain Trump’s tougher policy towards Beijing.
- Taiwan war games raise risk of US-China conflict — Logic dictates hostilities should not break out, but one small slip could so easily escalate.
- Chinese users flock to Clubhouse app to debate Xinjiang and Taiwan — Netizens pay for access to invite-only platform to chat about sensitive topics away from censors.
- US China hawks wage battle over commerce department post — Critics of Beijing seek to influence Joe Biden’s choice to lead Bureau of Industry and Security.
- US secretary of state blasts China in first phone call — Antony Blinken tells counterpart Washington will hold Beijing ‘accountable for its abuses’.
- FT China index: Tracking recovery from the pandemic — China’s economy was the first to experience severe disruption due to the coronavirus outbreak, and has since been the first to begin to recover.
- China accuses UK of ‘political manipulation’ over broadcaster ban — Beijing says media watchdog’s decision shows ‘typical double standards’ after CGTN taken off air.
- China’s Luckin Coffee files for bankruptcy in US — The group was once considered Asia’s rival to Starbucks.
- TikTok rival Kuaishou hits $160bn valuation as shares surge after IPO — Chinese video app’s market debut is biggest in tech sector since Uber offering in 2019.
- Alibaba debt sale draws investor rush despite regulatory woes — Funds line up $38bn in orders for $5bn of bonds even as Beijing targets Jack Ma’s empire.
- Australian farmers warn China trade spat will cost them $28bn — Agricultural lobby asks Canberra for help finding alternative export markets.
The New York Times
- How Geng Xiaonan Ran Afoul of China’s Communist Party — The authorities have charged Geng Xiaonan with illegal business activities, but her true offense may have been sympathizing with critics of the Communist Party.
- Cheng Lei, Australian Journalist for CGTN, Is Arrested by China — The case of Cheng Lei, a CGTN host who was detained in August, has added to tensions between China and Australia.
- HNA Was Once China’s Biggest Dealmaker. Now It Faces Bankruptcy. — China is tightening the reins on its economy and looking out for companies that could pose risks to China’s financial system.
- Hong Kong Cartoon Aims to Teach Children About National Security — The government unveiled an animated video about the national security law as part of a broader curriculum overhaul for schools.
- In Geopolitical Struggle Over Myanmar, China Has an Edge — As the United States and other nations denounce the coup, China has a chance to build up its influence. But Myanmar’s generals are difficult partners.
- How China Beat Covid-19 and Revived Its Economy — The Chinese Communist Party reached deep into private business and the broader population to drive a recovery, an authoritarian approach that has emboldened its top leader, Xi Jinping.
Caixin
- China Attacks ‘Shadow Shareholders’ in New IPO Guidelines — Top securities regulatory commission will require companies floating shares to disclose and terminate potentially improper shareholding deals.
- Deloitte Whistleblower Alleges Auditing Violations in China — Extensive PowerPoint document cites cases involving 10 clients amid a long-running fight with American regulators over review of audit papers for U.S.-listed Chinese companies.
- Clubhouse Craze Sends Shares of Chinese Imitator Skyrocketing — Stock of the similar Lizhi quadrupled last week, while Agora doubled on suggestions that it was a key supplier to the audio networking sensation.
- Tesla Recalls More Than 36,000 U.S.-Built Cars in China over Potential for Touchscreen Failures — Tesla is recalling two of its most popular models that were made in the U.S. and exported to China due to potential touchscreen problems that could lead to the loss of several safety-related features.
South China Morning Post
- US-China trade war: phase one trade deal largely a ‘failure’, as purchases fall well short of targets — A large part of the phase one trade deal between China and the United States that entered into force almost one year ago was a “failure”, according to a new report, although “several elements are worth keeping and building upon”.
- China issues final version of anti-monopoly guidelines as Beijing moves to rein in Big Tech — China issued the final version of the country’s new antitrust guidelines targeting internet platforms after making dozens of changes to an early draft, creating an important tool for Beijing to crack down on monopolistic practices such as forcing merchants to choose only one online channel or charging different prices for clients.
- China digital currency: Beijing, Suzhou confirm latest trials as e-yuan tests top 100 million yuan — Beijing and Suzhou will issue a total of 40 million yuan (US$6.2 million) in the latest trials of the nation’s digital currency this week in a bid to boost consumption over the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.
- China Fortune Land’s US$813 million of missed debt payments sparks fears of further defaults under Beijing’s ‘three red lines’ for property developers — Concerns about rising defaults in China’s property sector grew as a major developer became the first casualty of strict deleveraging rules recently introduced by the government, missing debt payments.
- Will Chinese drone giant DJI fly the friendly skies under Joe Biden’s watch? — On a winter’s night in 2015, members of the US Secret Service rushed to investigate a disturbance at the White House lawn. There, they found a drone – identified as a hobbyist-operated Phantom FC40, made by Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology Co – that crashed into a tree.
Bloomberg
- Clubhouse Users in China Say Service Appears to Be Blocked — Users of red-hot social media platform Clubhouse in China said they were unable to use the app on Monday, after an explosion of discussions over the weekend on taboo topics from Taiwan to Xinjiang.
- Great Wall Pushes Further Into Smart Cars With Horizon Deal — Beijing-based Horizon Robotics Inc. and Great Wall Motor Co., China’s top maker of sport utility vehicles, are teaming up to cooperate on intelligent driving technologies, including autonomous systems.
- Hong Kong Stocks Are About to Lose Biggest Source of Funds — Hong Kong’s stock traders are about to find out whether the $7.3 trillion market can hold its own without its biggest source of flows.
- China Hedge Funds Add $200 Billion, Trouncing Wall Street — China’s army of tiny hedge funds are pulling further ahead of their better-known foreign competitors with outsized gains helping them attract more assets.
Reuters
- Stock conversion allows China’s Wanda to sell AMC shares amid retail frenzy — China’s Wanda Group, the major shareholder in AMC Entertainment Holdings Ltd, conducted a share conversion to permit sales of its stock in the cinema operator, a target of the recent WallStreetBets retail frenzy, AMC said in an exchange filing.
- Chinese authorities slap Vipshop with large fine as regulatory arsenal expanded — Chinese regulators have hit online discount retailer Vipshop Holdings Ltd with a 3 million yuan ($464,000) fine, the biggest to date in a recent clampdown on anti-competitive behaviour among internet firms.
- China aluminium sector must shut inefficient coal power to meet climate goals: report — China’s aluminium sector must shut dedicated power capacity equivalent to more than Germany’s entire coal fleet over the next decade to keep Beijing on track to meet its carbon pledges, climate think tank Ember says.
- China to launch public platform to track, crack down on polluters — China will set up a new information platform to allow the public to track the emissions of polluting enterprises and help authorities prosecute those that break the rules or try to “evade supervision”, the environment ministry said.
Other Publications
- Axios: SoftBank Vision Fund’s comeback continues — SoftBank’s Vision Fund arm posted $12.8 billion in gains (and $8 billion net profit) from its investments for the Oct.-Dec. quarter, mainly driven by its stakes in Uber and DoorDash. SoftBank Group itself posted a $11.1 billion net profit.
- Beijing Review: Senior diplomat on China-U.S. cooperation — Normal China-U.S. interactions need to be restored to bring the relationship back to the course of sound and steady development, senior diplomat Yang Jiechi said.