Editor’s note for Monday, June 21, 2021

Do you need to know more about Chinese companies — their chief executives, links to the state, valuations, and other details? Try ChinaEdge, our new database of company profiles.

My thoughts today:

If I go, will there be trouble? That’s the question many scholars, journalists, business people, and other foreign frequent visitors to China are asking themselves, judging from a new survey by ChinaFile of some of its contributors.

In answer to the question, “How likely are you to travel to China once COVID restrictions are lifted?”

• 27% said “definitely.”
• 22% said “definitely not.”

Click through to ChinaFile for details.

The Hong Kong government continues moving rapidly to shut down the Apple Daily, the pro-democracy tabloid newspaper whose founder Jimmy Lai (黎智英 Lí Zhìyīng) is already behind bars on national security charges. The newspaper’s offices were raided by 500 police officers last week, resulting in the charging of the editor-in-chief and the CEO with “foreign collusion” for publishing articles.

Today, Reuters reports that the authorities have frozen all of Apple Daily’s bank accounts, which will force the newspaper out of business in a matter of days.

Our word of the day is cryptocurrency speculation (虚拟货币交易炒作 xūnǐ huòbì jiāoyì chǎozuò).

Upcoming events:

• June 23: Chinese cross-border investing in developing markets with Haitou Global CEO Jerry Wang.
• June 30: A book discussion with Cheng Li on his new book, Middle Class Shanghai, and how the U.S. needs to readjust its thinking when it comes to China.

—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief