Links for Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Is AI taking over China’s justice system?
China’s court AI reaches every corner of justice system, advising judges and streamlining punishment / SCMP (paywall)
“Smart court’s electronic reach allows the system to access police, prosecutor and government databases and integrate with China’s social credit system.”

China’s academics are starting to venture back out
Chinese academics take first steps back to world stage after COVID-19 / SCMP (paywall)
“Face-to-face talks between Chinese academics and think tanks and their U.S. counterparts are slowly resuming, as disrupted travel between China and the rest of the world enters its third year.”

Weibo’s word crackdown
Weibo vows to crack down on homophones and “misspelled” words to “stop spread of harmful information” / What’s on Weibo
“Chinese social media platform Weibo announced that it will crack down on the use of homophones and ‘misspelled words’ by netizens in order to create a more ‘healthy’ online environment and stop the spread of ‘misinformation.’”

Post-COVID, China’s middle class reluctant to spend
For China’s anxious middle class, saving is the new spending / Sixth Tone
“Months of lockdowns have left many consumers feeling financially insecure — and trying to drastically cut their household budgets. The trend may be difficult to reverse.”

China’s June trade surplus breaks three-decade record as Shanghai reopens
China’s trade surplus hits record after Shanghai reopens / Bloomberg (paywall)
China trade surplus surges to record as exports accelerate / AP
China’s exports picked up in June as logistics problems eased / WSJ (paywall)
China’s June exports rise at quickest pace in 5 months / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
China’s exports bounce back, but global risks darken trade outlook / Reuters

Tencent’s woes
Tencent fails to win game approval as China concerns persist / Bloomberg (paywall)

New Oriental’s switch from books to groceries
Targeted by Beijing, one Chinese tutoring company reinvents itself with live streams selling groceries / WSJ (paywall)
“New Oriental, one of China’s largest private-tutoring companies until a regulatory crackdown almost crushed it last year, has become the country’s latest live-streaming sensation…by selling fresh produce, fish and mutton on ByteDance’s popular short-video platform Douyin.”

Red flags raised on China’s economy
China’s plunging markets flash fresh warning signs on economy / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Chinese financial markets are flashing warning signs that another round of Covid shutdowns could create more turmoil for the economy.”

Chinese consumer brands look overseas as domestic growth stagnates
Chinese companies are going global as growth slows at home / CNBC
“Like many businesses, Miniso saw sales drop during the pandemic. More than two-thirds of its revenue still comes from China. But in the last several months, data showed a relatively rapid pickup internationally versus domestically, a result of the varying effects of the pandemic.”

Shenzhen and Hong Kong link up their WMPs
Shenzhen banks open 12,560 cross-border accounts in pilot program / Caixin (paywall)
“Shenzhen’s 24 banks have opened 12,560 accounts under a pilot program that allows cross-border investment in wealth management products (WMPs) in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), China’s banking regulator said.”

Xi’an medical center head disciplined for neglecting his duties
China health official is punished over video games, bribery / Bloomberg (paywall)
“A healthcare official has been kicked out of China’s ruling Communist Party for offenses including ‘long-term addiction to mobile games’ following an uproar over a woman who suffered a miscarriage because she was refused care while the city of Xi’an was locked down.”