Beijing bids farewell to Jiang Zemin

Here’s what else you need to know about China today:

Jiāng Zémín 江泽民 was cremated today after a closed-door ceremony in Beijing, as a wave of nostalgia for the former Chinese president washes over the nation amid recent protests against Xi’s COVID-zero policy. Xinhua has published an image gallery, including a shot of Jiang’s body lying in state, wearing his iconic thick-rimmed glasses.

• The country’s financial markets will pause for three minutes of silence tomorrow to commemorate his legacy.

The U.S. accused Chinese solar manufacturers of avoiding tariffs by finishing the assembly of their panels to be exported to America in Southeast Asia, trade officials said on Friday, and will impose new duties on imports following a months-long probe into China’s influence over the solar industry’s supply chain.

• The U.S. Commerce Department probe named units of BYD, Trina Solar, LONGi Green Energy Technology (which owns Vina Solar), and Canadian Solar as firms that are circumventing the tariffs.
• LONGi today denied the accusations, and said it will provide evidence to show it is complying with U.S. regulations.

Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 said that COVID frustration drove the recent protests and suggested that the pandemic has entered a less deadly stage in a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel last Thursday, according to EU officials per the Wall Street Journal, giving his first known acknowledgment to the recent unrest at home that has rippled across the globe.

• The China Project last week reported that Michel had told Xi that ”European companies are available to provide vaccines, if those vaccines will be agreed to by the official authorities in China.”

A U.S. judge dropped charges against Mèng Wǎnzhōu 孟晚舟 on Friday, formally ending the high-profile criminal sanctions case against the Huawei CFO that strained U.S.-China relations.

Hydrogen industrial vehicle production line: On Saturday, a launching ceremony took place in Foshan, Guangdong Province, for a production line of hydrogen-powered industrial vehicles, including 3.5-ton and 7-ton forklifts, and 6-ton tractors. See today’s Business briefs from the Chinese media, with more links and info on:

• What is a bank?
• CATL gets a partial legal win over CALB.
• An October bump for car imports.

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