Highlighted links for Friday, July 29, 2022

Below are links to other noteworthy reports published in the last 24 hours from and about China. Click through to our China NewsBase to see all the other stories we collected today.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

Will Jack Ma step away from Ant?
Ant Group IPO set for further delay as Jack Ma plans to give up control / FT (paywall)
Jack Ma (马云 Mǎ Yún) “is planning to give up control of Ant Group, a change that would further delay the Chinese financial technology giant’s plans to launch an initial public offering.”
Jack Ma escapes Beijing’s crosshairs by giving up his power / Bloomberg (paywall)

Stellantis warns on Beijing interference, shutters Jeep production in China
Stellantis CEO says ‘breach of trust’ broke alliance with China’s GAC / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“The CEO of Stellantis, the fourth-largest global automaker by volume, has blamed the company’s decision to end its key joint venture in China on a ‘breach of trust’ by partner Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC).”
Jeep pulls out of China over government meddling in business / Bloomberg (paywall)
Boss of carmaker Stellantis warns of growing China interference in business / FT (paywall)

Chinese apps gun for TikTok’s success, away from Beijing’s watchful eye
Chinese apps vie to become the next TikTok without making splash at home / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“A new generation of Chinese apps aims to become a global phenomenon like TikTok without a bruising fight for space in the domestic market.”

Graft busters ensnare top officials
China probes tech, industry minister for alleged violations / Bloomberg (paywall)
Head of China’s biggest chip investment fund under probe / Caixin (paywall)
Chief of China’s industry ministry faces discipline probe / Reuters
China puts minister in charge of tech regulation under investigation / WSJ (paywall)
Xi Jinping’s graft crackdown targets technology minister / FT (paywall)

Missfresh missteps
Chinese online grocer MissFresh halts core business and begins massive layoff / TechNode
“Chinese online grocery company MissFresh (Meiri Youxian) has stopped offering on-demand grocery deliveries, a signature business offering, and has begun to lay off the majority of its staff, according to multiple reports from Chinese media.”
Tiger Global-backed Missfresh stops paying salaries as it runs out of cash / FT (paywall)
Delivery firm Missfresh collapses as another Nasdaq-listed Chinese firm falls prey to weakening economy / SCMP (paywall)

Chinese solar manufacturing pivots to Southeast Asia
Chinese solar firms ramping up investment in Southeast Asia to evade U.S., European trade tensions / SCMP (paywall)
“Chinese solar companies are increasingly establishing manufacturing bases in Southeast Asia and beyond in the face of rising geopolitical tension and in the pursuit of more competitive locations.”

Starving pigs turn feral amid China’s pork problem
Hog cannibalism clip spotlights grim plight of China’s pork producers / Caixin (paywall)
“A 23-second clip of hungry pigs overwhelming and biting one of their kin at a farm run by a leading Chinese pork producer was all it took to spark a stock sell-off — and put a spotlight on the operator’s precarious financial position.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Chongqing’s COVID-zero oasis
The Chinese megacity where masks are rare and clubs are packed / Bloomberg (paywall)
President Xí Jìnpíng’s 习近平 COVID-zero strategy “has become notorious internationally for its grueling lockdowns. But in the southwestern megacity Chongqing, signs of China’s signature pandemic policy disrupting daily life are hard to find.”

Falling space junk
China rocket: Uncontrolled return to Earth raises concern / BBC
As more space junk falls to Earth, will China clean up its act? / Guardian
China closely tracking debris of its most powerful rocket / Reuters
This week on The China Project: China’s new space station is two thirds complete after launch of new lab.
Earlier on The China Project: Whose space junk is about to collide with the Moon? Not ours, says China.

Tunnel in Tibet squeezed by tectonic plates
China’s new railway tunnel squeezed by tectonic crush in Tibetan snow mountain / SCMP (paywall)
​​Some sections of the nine-kilometer (5.6-mile) Haba Snow Mountain Tunnel, located in the Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, were “squeezed” by a crushing force caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

U.S.-China chip wars
China says U.S. chip act will distort global semiconductor supply chain / Reuters
U.S. Senate passes bill to boost chip manufacturing, compete with China / Reuters

United States, China, and Taiwan
Why Pelosi’s proposed Taiwan visit is raising U.S.-China tensions / NYT (paywall)
U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions / Bloomberg (paywall)
U.S. carrier strike group returns to South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions / Reuters
China announces three exercises in S. China Sea as Taiwan issue raises tensions / RFA

Thailand will not deport detained Uyghurs to China
Thailand says it won’t deport Uygurs to China amid crackdown on asylum seekers / SCMP (paywall)
“Thailand has denied it is planning to deport ethnic Uygur Muslims to China, after activists voiced concerns about a fresh crackdown on asylum seekers.”

Beijing probes more officials as banking fraud fallout continues
China launches discipline probe into 3 more Henan officials as fallout from banking scam continues / SCMP (paywall)
“Three more financial officials in the central province of Henan have been put under investigation for ‘suspected severe disciplinary violations,’ Chinese regulators said on Friday, as authorities rush to stem fallout from a banking scandal.”
China probes officials, repays more depositors in Henan bank scandal / Reuters
Code red: The human cost of China’s rural banking crisis / Sixth Tone
How Henan bank scammers weaponized the language of inclusive finance / Sixth Tone

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Concert chaos in Hong Kong after giant screen falls on Cantopop performance
Large video screen falls during mirror concert in Hong Kong, injuring 2 / NYT (paywall)
“The Hong Kong authorities will investigate why a large, heavy video screen fell from the ceiling during a concert by a popular boy band at a government-run venue, injuring two dancers, officials said on Friday.”
Giant screen falls on pop band mirror’s performance shocks Hong Kong / Bloomberg (paywall)
Giant video screen falls during Hong Kong pop concert, dancers hurt / Reuters

Rehab for alcoholism is hard to find in rural China
For alcoholics in rural China, at-home rehab is a hard swallow / Sixth Tone
“With little access to AA or support groups, getting sober is often a test of will.”

Backlash against Didi’s fine over data privacy violations
Discussions on Didi after $1.2 billion fine for user-data violations / What’s on Weibo
“​​’Don’t even worry about rectifying, just go away,’ some commenters wrote about Didi after learning the car-hailing company illegally and excessively collected user data.”