Editor’s note for Wednesday, November 4, 2020

My thoughts today:

We still do not know the results of the U.S. election as we send this newsletter. If there is a result tomorrow, we’ll cover Chinese reactions, but in the meantime, you may be interested in this report from various polling stations in Chinatowns across New York City on election day.

The biggest news on the other side of the Pacific is still the suspension of Ant Group’s IPO. Since yesterday, I have heard dozens of explanations for the government’s decision to put the kibosh on what would have been the world’s biggest listing.

We suggested four factors. For different explanations and other details, see this Twitter thread from Eunice Yoon, Beijing bureau chief of CNBC, or this thread from Rui Ma (host of our Tech Buzz China podcast) which summarizes one rather eccentric view from a Chinese tech insider.

If you’re planning on travelling to China soon, you should be aware that Beijing is tightening COVID-19 entry requirements: “Inbound passengers — whether all or only those from high-risk countries is unclear — must present negative nucleic acid and antibody tests taken within 48 hours of boarding.”

Our word of the day is armed drone: 武装无人机 wǔzhuāng wúrénjī.

—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief