Links for Monday, July 11, 2022

TikTok co-founder leaves ByteDance after failed entry into edtech
TikTok co-founder quits ByteDance after edtech experiment flop / Caixin (paywall)
“One of TikTok’s original creators left its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. after Beijing’s year-long regulatory crackdown scuppered an expansion into gaming and education. Louis Yang, a co-founder of Musical.ly ― the app acquired by ByteDance that morphed into TikTok ― quit his job at the Beijing-based company last week, according to a person familiar with the matter.”

Vivo asks Indian court to unfreeze bank accounts amidst laundering accusations
China’s Vivo asks court to lift Indian bank account freeze / Reuters
“Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has asked an Indian court to quash a decision by the country’s financial crime agency to freeze its bank accounts, saying the move was “bad in law” and would harm business operations.”

Oppo vs. Nokia
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo loses to Nokia in patent infringement case in Germany, potentially affecting sales / SCMP (paywall)
“A regional court in the southwestern German city of Mannheim ruled in favor of the Finnish telecoms giant for the second time, determining that Oppo’s use of certain 4G and 5G telecoms technologies infringed on Nokia’s patents, the company said in a statement.”
Nokia wins lawsuits banning Oppo and OnePlus from selling phones in Germany / TechNode

China clamps down on cross-border data transfers
China introduces new rules governing cross-border transfers of data / WSJ (paywall)
“Many businesses in China will have to seek approvals from Chinese authorities before transferring data abroad, according to rules released this week, part of a growing suite of regulations Beijing has introduced to tighten control over data in the country.”
China passes new data export review rules, effective from September / TechNode
China to enforce cross-border data transfer rules in September / Nikkei Asia (paywall)

Chinese drivers are jailbreaking their electric scooters
Hackers are helping to speed up China’s electric scooter boom / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Chinese drivers are souping up their electric scooters, helping to grow one of the most successful corners of battery-powered transportation.”

Hong Kong property billionaire ordered to declare bankruptcy
Former Hong Kong property billionaire Pan gets bankruptcy order / Bloomberg (paywall)
“The court ordered Pan to unwind his holding company, Silver Starlight Ltd., after he and the firm failed to pay creditors including China Citic Bank Corp. HK$8 billion ($1 billion) that was due in 2019, according to a court filing Friday.”

Macau closes casinos for COVID, stocks tumble
Macau shuts down casinos following COVID outbreak / BBC
“Macau closed all its casinos for the first time in more than two years on Monday after a coronavirus outbreak in the world’s biggest gambling hub.”
Macau to shutter casinos for a week in COVID-19 outbreak / AP
Macau shuts all its casinos to curb COVID, gaming shares plunge / Reuters
Macau casino stocks tumble as city shuts down to curb COVID outbreak / Caixin (paywall)
Macau shuts casinos as city enters weeklong lockdown / WSJ (paywall)
Macao gaming shares tumble as COVID outbreak shuts casinos / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
Macau uses two more casino hotels for COVID medical facilities / Reuters
Macau shuts all casinos in bid to contain worsening COVID outbreak / Guardian

Hong Kong adopts China-style COVID rules, while Shanghai plans more mass testing
Hong Kong plans China-like health code system as outbreak grows / Bloomberg (paywall)
Hong Kong health chief rules out quarantine-free travel for now / Caixin (paywall)
Shanghai plans more COVID testing amid fresh curbs across China / Reuters
Shanghai identifies new COVID Omicron subvariant / Reuters
China reimposes curbs as BA.5 variant spreads Omicron outbreaks / FT (paywall)
Shanghai fears a second lockdown as China battles BA.5 outbreaks / Washington Post (paywall)

More on COVID
Chinese stocks drop on threat of renewed COVID lockdowns / FT (paywall)
Beijing’s COVID outbreaks push more tenants out of office buildings / Caixin (paywall)
How China’s COVID quarantine rules have evolved / Sixth Tone
Some 30 million people face COVID curbs: China lockdown tracker / Bloomberg (paywall)

Wuhan University discovers cholera case and rushes to prevent spread
Wuhan University finds cholera case, fueling fears of spread / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s Wuhan University reported a case of cholera, spurring a rush to trace contacts and stem potential further spread.”
Cholera infection puts China’s Wuhan University on high alert / SCMP (paywall)

China’s heat waves are hurting crops
Heatwaves in China are affecting country’s agriculture, experts say / Sixth Tone
“Record-high temperatures across China are affecting the country’s agricultural production in yet another sign of how extreme weather events compounded by the climate crisis are impacting the lives and livelihoods globally.”

Jimmy Lai’s lawyers claim to have received death threats
Lawyers defending Hong Kong tycoon say they have received threats / Reuters

Digital nomads are on the rise
Chinese workers ditch cramped cubicles for remote locales, freedom – and just look at that view / SCMP (paywall)
“Known as ‘digital nomads,’ many were born out of China’s strict pandemic measures — but families and friends are still trying to process this new way of life. China’s remote-working trend is in its early stages, but even local governments and businesses are taking stock and looking to capitalize on development opportunities.”

Macao orders casinos to invest beyond gambling
‘Las Vegas of Asia’ tells casinos to grow beyond gambling / AP
“Losing money due to COVID, the American casino giants that helped make Macau the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ face a fresh challenge: The tiny Chinese territory wants them to help reduce its reliance on gambling by paying to build theme parks and other attractions.”

Graft busting
Senior Tibet official expelled from party and dismissed for bribery / Caixin (paywall)
​​Former Chinese police boss Fu Zhenghua to face court on corruption charges / SCMP (paywall)

Propping up China’s sluggish economy
Beijing launches consumption vouchers scheme to stimulate waning spending / Caixin (paywall)
China can widen deficit to support economy, former finance chief says / Caixin (paywall)
China’s economy stumbles in the fog of COVID war / NYT (paywall)

Federal judge dismisses Missouri’s COVID-19 lawsuit against China
Judge throws out Missouri AG’s COVID-19 suit against China / AP
“A federal judge on Friday threw out a lawsuit by Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt that blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh said in his 38-page ruling that in this case federal rules prohibit a sovereign foreign entity from being sued in American courts.”

China sets guidelines to handle U.S. involvement in Asia Pacific
China lays out rules for managing U.S. engagement in Asia Pacific / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China has handed the U.S. a blueprint for their coexistence in Asia Pacific, as the world’s two largest economies continue to clash in the region on security issues…Chinese Foreign Minster Wáng Yì 王毅 said he’d made the proposal to his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken during their five-hour meeting in Bali over the weekend.”
China warns Asian nations to avoid being used as ‘chess pieces’ by powers / Reuters

Extreme realism in the province of Gansu
‘Return to Dust’: The Chinese film pushing realism to new extremes
“Li Ruijun has spent much of his filmmaking career trying to capture the reality of life in rural China. But in his latest feature, Return to Dust, the director has taken his commitment to authenticity to a whole new level. Before shooting began in 2020, Li issued a startling demand to his cast and crew: they would all need to spend the better part of a year living — and working — in a remote town in the northwestern province of Gansu.”

Blinken presses China on Russia and Myanmar
Blinken reproves China counterpart over support for Russia / WSJ (paywall)
Blinken calls on China, ASEAN countries to hold Myanmar accountable / Reuters
Blinken blasts China’s support for Russia, calls out Xi / Bloomberg (paywall)
U.S.’s Blinken raises China’s ‘alignment with Russia’ on Ukraine / Al Jazeera
U.S. tells China its support for Russia complicates relations / AP

China’s response to the death of Shinzo Abe
China’s Xi offers condolences to Japan PM Kishida over Abe’s death / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
China’s Xi ‘deeply regrets’ death of Japan’s Abe / Reuters
Taiwan vice president makes rare Japan visit to pay respects to Abe – official media / Reuters
Abe assassination resurfaces Japan’s complex legacy in China, South Korea / Washington Post (paywall)
Anti-Japanese sentiments on Weibo after news of Shinzo Abe getting shot in Nara / What’s on Weibo
Discussing Shinzo Abe’s death on Weibo and foreign media ‘maliciously’ covering it / What’s on Weibo
Chinese reporter cries during live broadcast covering attack on Shinzo Abe / What’s on Weibo
Amid grieving in Asia for Japan’s Shinzo Abe, Chinese nationalists celebrate / RFA