Links for Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Remnants of Chinese rocket crash discovered in Southeast Asia
Debris from Chinese rocket crash found in Indonesia and Malaysia / Space
“Some pieces of the big Chinese rocket that fell to Earth over the weekend have been found on the ground in Southeast Asia…Locals have apparently discovered pieces of the booster in multiple spots along the reentry path.”
Yesterday on The China Project: China’s hurtling space junk again draws NASA’s ire.

Did China’s national animal come from Europe?
Extinct panda from ancient Europe highlights debate over animal’s origins / NBC
“The discovery of an extinct panda that roamed the forests and swamps of Europe millions of years ago could reignite debate about whether the ancestors of China’s iconic national animal actually came from Europe.”

Chinese scientists have a plan to glimpse the universe’s past
China plans to view the universe’s dark past using a fleet of telescopes orbiting the moon / SCMP (paywall)
“A team of Chinese scientists have proposed sending a fleet of telescopes to orbit the moon and peek into the most mysterious era of the universe’s past. [This plan]…would shed light on the so-called cosmic dark ages, a time when the infant universe was nothing but a sea of darkness.”

Beijing backs away from ambitious growth target
Chinese leaders say GDP goal is guidance, not a hard target / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s top leaders told government officials last week that this year’s economic growth target of ‘around 5.5%’ should serve as guidance rather than a hard target that must be hit, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Alibaba wants to keep its dual listings in Hong Kong and the U.S.
Alibaba striving to maintain U.S. listing amid delisting fears / AP
“Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba said Monday that it wants to keep its shares listed in both New York and Hong Kong, days after U.S. regulators included it in a list of companies that may be delisted for not complying with auditing requirements.”

The success story of a Taiwanese electric vehicle startup
How a Taiwanese electric two-wheeler startup made its electric battery swapping stations as common as gas stations in Taiwan / Rest of World
“The network enables urban riders to simply stop at a station, drop off their depleted batteries, and pick up fully charged ones in a matter of seconds. This is an alternative to trying to charge at home or work.”

Competition is fierce in the world’s biggest EV market
Rivals catch up with NIO, Xpeng, and Li Auto in July / TechNode
“Chinese electric vehicle makers Aion, Hozon, and Leapmotor, reported record deliveries in July, overshadowing the numbers reported by leading players NIO, Xpeng Motors, and Li Auto as the landscape in the world’s biggest EV market continues to evolve.”

Chinese investors seeking U.S. regulatory clearance doubled in 2021
Chinese requests for U.S. clearance on investments doubled in 2021 / Reuters
“Chinese investors roughly doubled the number of applications they made last year seeking U.S. regulatory clearance for proposed stakes in American companies, according to a report the government plans to release on Tuesday.”

Major Hong Kong casino may relocate to Macau to avoid U.S. delisting
Hong Kong casino tycoon considers Macau move to avoid U.S. delisting / FT (paywall)
“Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a $2.5 billion casino group run by Hong Kong casino mogul Lawrence Ho, is weighing relocating its headquarters to Macau to avoid being delisted in the U.S., according to two people familiar with the matter.”

COVID measures give foreign companies in China a hard time
China’s foreign businesses adapt by looking inward for talent as zero-COVID keeps expats away / SCMP (paywall)
“Foreign businesspeople, having struggled throughout the pandemic to cope with China’s draconian lockdown measures, are holding out hope that leaders in Beijing will allow for more leeway to address the nation’s economic hardships after this autumn’s critically important 20th Party Congress.”

Food vlogger slammed for eating endangered shark species
Food vlogger’s white shark feast lands her in hot water / Sixth Tone
“Police in the southwestern city of Nanchong confirmed on Sunday that a Chinese food vlogger cooked and ate an internationally vulnerable species in her short video posted on social media, which has resulted in an online backlash.”

Movie star applies for government-backed institution and causes backlash
In China, even movie stars just want a stable gig / Sixth Tone
“When Jackson Yee, an A-list actor and pop star with 90 million followers on Weibo, decided to apply for a position with the state-run National Theater of China, he probably didn’t expect to find himself embroiled in the biggest controversy of his career.”

Chinese broadcaster CCTV claims it’s battling Western media
Chinese broadcaster CCTV says it ‘dares to fight Western media monopoly on public opinion’ / SCMP (paywall)
“China’s main state-run television group CCTV says it has used ‘offense as a means of defense’ against Western media with its coverage of events like the U.S. Capitol riot and that it will continue to push back in the narrative battle.”