The Wall Street Journal
- China’s Crackdown on High-Frequency Trading Ensnares Another Firm — The regulatory actions come as China steps up efforts to boost investor sentiment and revive sluggish stock markets.
- Alibaba Cuts China Cloud Prices to Rekindle Division’s Growth — The new prices, down 20% on average, will take effect Thursday.
- China Says It Will Step Up Oversight on Direct Market Access Strategy — Statement comes after other recent measures aimed at boosting investor sentiment in China’s sluggish stock markets.
- Biden Orders Probe Into Foreign Car Parts, Citing China Risks — President warned connected vehicles could collect sensitive data for foreign governments.
- HKEX’s Earnings Took a Blow as Slower China Growth Hit Markets — HKEX’s headline average daily turnover fell 28% in the quarter.
- Interparfums CEO Pushes for Growth Amid Pessimistic Views for China — Chief executive Jean Madar expects guidance for 10% rise in sales this year will be raised.
The Financial Times
- US to investigate whether Chinese ‘connected’ cars are security risk — Biden administration cites concerns about potentially sensitive data ending up in Beijing’s hands as more vehicles hit market.
- Hong Kong stock exchange’s profits fall sharply as chief departs — Nicolas Aguzin’s term ends on downbeat note with subdued trading and scant initial public offerings.
- How Russia war-gamed a Chinese invasion — Leaked military documents lay bare Moscow’s long-standing fears about Beijing.
- China’s ETF price war heats up — Regulator-led active fund fee reforms create downward pressure on prices and spread into passive fund space.
- Can European carmakers stop China’s electric behemoth BYD? — The company began selling on the continent a little over a year ago and is already making inroads.
- Germany and Italy torpedo EU supply chain law — Rules would have made companies liable for alleged human rights abuses by suppliers based in China’s Xinjiang region.
The New York Times
- China Has Thousands of Navalnys, Hidden From the Public — China has no dissident with the kind of public profile that Aleksei A. Navalny had. The government has many critics, but they all disappear from view.
- Biden Calls Chinese Electric Vehicles a Security Threat — The president ordered an investigation into auto software that could track U.S. drivers, part of a broader effort to stop E.V. imports from China.
Caixin
- In Depth: China’s Efforts to Unlock the Value of Data as an Asset — Chinese businesses and regulators are making new efforts to put a value on data generated in commerce and to monetize information as an asset in the digital economy.
- Wind and Solar Power Traded on China’s Electricity Market Doubles in Two Years — Nearly half of the power traded on China’s electricity market in 2023 came from wind and solar plants, doubling from just two years ago, according to an energy expert.
- Chart of the Day: China’s Plunging Long-Term Government Bond Yields — Yields on China’s long-term sovereign bonds have continued to drop this week due to heightened demand as expectations for looser monetary policy grew and investors shunned riskier assets in light of ongoing economic uncertainty.
South China Morning Post
- China, US flights continue rebound, but weekly round trips still a fraction of pre-pandemic levels — Chinese civil aviation authority announcement follows US move to boost weekly air trip volume from 35 to 50.
- Alibaba’s cloud computing unit cuts prices on 100 core products in China to capture more users involved in AI development projects — The initiative seeks to ‘lower the threshold of cloud services for more enterprises and developers’ in mainland China, where artificial intelligence development projects are driving demand.
- ‘Two sessions’ 2024: China signals more fiscal pump-priming for the economy — Politburo vows to make the policy environment ‘transparent and predictable’ amid lingering doubts about the country’s business outlook.
Nikkei Asia
- Hong Kong’s new security law prompts foreign envoys to lodge concerns — European countries wary of ‘vague’ rules on state secrets, foreign interference.
- Offshore creditor files petition to wind up Country Garden — Distressed mainland Chinese developer calls the move ‘radical.’
- Analysis: Can Xi Jinping’s ‘buy new products’ campaign fix China’s economy? — Xi might be better off taking a cue from the legendary founder of Wahaha.
Bloomberg
- China Bans High-Frequency Trader as Quant Crackdown Expands — Hedge fund gets one-year ban for misuse of high-speed trading.
- Xi Signals China Ready to Step Up Support for Global South — Chinese leader Xi Jinping indicated his nation would be a bigger voice for the world’s developing economies, underscoring his campaign to offer an alternative to US leadership.
- Apple’s iPhone Steeply Discounted in China on Weak Demand — Apple Inc.’s resellers in China are slashing the price of iPhone 15 models by as much as $180, signaling an unusually prolonged slump in demand.
Reuters
- In delicate China play, Reckitt turns to livestreaming to sell condoms — Durex-owner Reckitt is hoping that Chinese consumers’ penchant for livestream shopping will also extend to purchases of condoms, but the company will have to toe a “delicate line” as it looks to grow its slice of the $5-billion-plus condom market.
- Chinese automaker BYD looking for Mexico plant location, executive says — Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is looking for a location in Mexico to set up a factory aimed at boosting the company’s share of the local market, BYD Americas CEO Stella Li told Reuters on Wednesday.
- Alibaba Cloud announces steep price cut in race for AI customers — China’s Alibaba Cloud on Thursday said it will slash prices of some of its products by as much as 55%, its most severe price cut to date, amid intensifying competition to attract heavy users, particularly artificial intelligence software developers.
Other Publications
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Tracing the Roots of China’s AI Regulations — How face swap apps, investigative journalism, and corporate thought leadership shaped governance. By Matt Sheehan
- Axios: One year on, the House China committee is leading the debate on China policy — Despite the bitter gridlock in Congress, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has avoided partisan chaos and gained traction to address some of the challenges China poses to the U.S., the committee chair and ranking member told Axios in a joint interview.
- Trivium China: Gaming out China’s next export controls on critical minerals — All signs point to further export controls in the year ahead. The big question is which mineral export China will set its sights on next.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies: Wherever They May Roam: China’s Militia in 2023 — China’s maritime militia, once a shadowy and ill-understood actor in the South China Sea disputes, has become visible to international observers in a very tangible way over the last year.
- Washington Post: Opinion: Congress is leaving small Pacific allies vulnerable to China’s pull — For three small but important island countries in the northern Pacific, U.S. neglect could be a push into China’s waiting arms. By Josh Rogin
- CBC News: Scientist fired from Winnipeg disease lab intentionally worked to benefit China: CSIS report — Documents say Dr. Xiangguo Qiu’s decisions ‘could have impacted public safety.’
- The Guardian: Former Liberal candidate jailed over attempt to influence Morrison government for China — Di Sanh Duong sentenced under 2018 laws after seeking to cultivate relationship with Alan Tudge, who is not accused of wrongdoing.
