Links for Monday, December 12, 2022

Will China open the border with Hong Kong?
China may partly open HK border by late January, reports say / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China may drop quarantine for Hong Kong residents traveling into the mainland next month, according to local media reports, as the country speeds up its shift away from strict COVID control.”

Chinese regulators are trying to clamp down on deepfakes
China’s internet censors take on deepfakes to curb online disinformation / SCMP (paywall)
“Chinese regulators have moved to introduce a stand-alone law for deep synthesis technology, a reflection of the rapid development of deepfakes and the regulatory challenges they pose.”

Movie extras eye fame and fortune on Bilibili
Almost famous: How China’s extras are chasing viral video fame / Sixth Tone
“Treated as disposable by the film industry, extras are living their dreams of stardom on streaming platforms like Bilibili.”

Companies and carbon neutrality in China
China central bank official calls for orderly carbon reduction / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China should pursue any transition to green economic activity in an orderly manner and avoid any ‘campaign-style’ carbon reductions at its financial institutions, a deputy central bank governor said.”

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai sentenced to over five years in prison
Hong Kong media tycoon sentenced to five years in prison / NYT (paywall)
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai jailed over five years on fraud charge / Reuters

Top-level China-U.S. talks
China-U.S. relations: Beijing vows to ‘properly handle’ differences over Taiwan / SCMP (paywall)
Senior U.S. officials visit China, hold talks with vice foreign minister / Reuters

WTO rules against Trump-era tariffs
WTO rules against Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs / AP

U.S. sanctions Chinese firms, people over rights abuses in fishing and Tibet
U.S. targets Chinese fishing vessels, Russian detention camps, with human-rights sanctions / WSJ (paywall)
U.S. puts sanctions on two Chinese companies over alleged illegal fishing / FT (paywall)
U.S. sanctions Nasdaq-listed China firm over illegal fishing / Bloomberg (paywall)
China slams U.S. sanctions over alleged rights abuses in Tibet / Reuters
U.S. imposes sanctions over rights abuses, targets China and Russia / Reuters

COVID zero is really over
China scraps major COVID tracking app as virus rules ease / AFP via HKFP
“China said Monday it would retire an app used to track COVID-19 contacts, a milestone in the country’s rapid turn away from its zero-tolerance coronavirus strategy.”
China’s rapid COVID reversal sparks whiplash as cases surge / Bloomberg (paywall)
“COVID is rapidly spreading through Chinese households and offices after the country’s pandemic rules were unexpectedly unwound last week, sparking confusion on the ground as ill-prepared hospitals struggle to deal with a surge in cases.”
China to deactivate national COVID tracking app / BBC
China to drop some travel tracking as it relaxes COVID rules / AP
China’s looming ‘tsunami’ of COVID cases will test its hospitals / NYT (paywall)
China’s disappearing data stokes fears of hidden COVID wave / FT (paywall)
Coming COVID wave tests China’s love of herbal remedies / WSJ (paywall)
China’s COVID-19 reversal sparks rush for medicines, vaccines / WSJ (paywall)
China warned to accelerate approval of updated jabs to tackle COVID ‘tsunami’ / FT (paywall)
‘It doesn’t hurt at all’: In China’s new COVID strategy, vaccines matter / NYT (paywall)
China seeks to quell COVID falsehoods amid panic-buying of drugs / Bloomberg (paywall)
China’s top officials continue to downplay COVID risks / Bloomberg (paywall)
Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs / AP
China’s healthcare system put to the test as COVID curbs fade / Reuters
Queues form at fever clinics as China wrestles with COVID surge / Reuters
COVID chaos at China’s hospitals as stringent control policy eases / Caixin (paywall)

China’s limping economy drives the young and the retired to seek more funds
For China’s Gen-Z, entrepreneurship represents a ticket to freedom / Sixth Tone
Economic toll on Chinese families forces retirees back into employment / SCMP (paywall)

Fidelity joins fellow asset managers in stamp of approval from Beijing
Fidelity International wins China mutual-fund license / WSJ (paywall)
“The asset manager follows BlackRock and Neuberger Berman in getting Chinese regulatory approval to manage money for individual investors.”

Inflation slumps
Inflation slowed in China as lockdowns spread / WSJ (paywall)
“Inflation in China slowed sharply in November as widespread COVID-19 lockdowns battered spending, emphasizing the economic cost of a stringent strategy the government has now begun to relax.”

Chinese firms plummeted in value this year, Hurun report finds
Top Chinese companies saw valuations crumble in 2022: report / TechNode
“35 Chinese companies are listed on the Hurun Global 500 for 2022, 12 fewer than last year, a report conducted by Hurun Research Institute shows.”
Top Chinese company valuations tumble amid crackdown: Hurun report / Nikkei Asia (paywall)

Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, ordered to remove ads for HD World Cup streaming
Douyin accused of foul play over World Cup 4k streaming rights / Caixin (paywall)
“Court orders ByteDance’s popular short video app to remove ads promoting its 4K live streaming after a China Mobile subsidiary complained.”
Court rules against Douyin over World Cup 4K HD streaming rights / TechNode