Highlighted links for January 30, 2023

Below are links from our NewsBase to other noteworthy reports published in the last 24 hours from and about China.

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

JD.com retreats from Southeast Asia after difficult year
China’s JD.com to shut e-commerce sites in Indonesia, Thailand / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China’s JD.com is to close its e-commerce services in Indonesia and Thailand, retreating from Southeast Asia after a bruising year for China’s retail and technology sectors. JD.com will end its services in Thailand on March 3 and in Indonesia at the end of the same month, its local websites showed. Both units will stop taking orders on Feb. 15.”
JD.com halts Indonesia and Thailand e-commerce sites to refocus on logistics / SCMP (paywall)

Amidst India-China conflict, India is considers tariffs on Chinese goods
India plans measures to curb Chinese imports as trade gap concerns mount -sources / Reuters
“India is considering a number of tariffs and non-tariff steps to cut imports of non-essential consumer and electronic goods, including from China, as trade imbalances concern policymakers, two government officials and an industry source said.”

Chinese smartphones are struggling, but one Chinese brand just might push through
Huawei spinoff is lone winner in dire year for China smartphones / Bloomberg (paywall)
“Honor Device Co. was the only major phone manufacturer to eke out growth in China shipments last year, defying a double-digit slump that delivered a decade low for the market.”

China’s oil and gas use falls, but experts expect a rebound
China’s oil and gas use fell in 2022 for first time in decades / NYT (paywall)
“With its economy severely hampered by stringent measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, China’s oil and gas consumption declined in 2022 for the first time in decades, the International Energy Agency said on Friday.”

How the world will cope with post COVID Chinese tourism
China’s reopening met with mixed feelings across Asia as Chinese tourists return / SCMP (paywall)
“The prospect of tourism businesses being stress-tested rather than operating at a fraction of their capacity was highly anticipated, based on multiple stories from Thailand, Malaysia and other Asian countries about China’s reopening.”
Chinese travel is set to return. The question is, when? / NYT (paywall)

Can China’s box office make a comeback?
China’s film industry shoots for post-COVID recovery / FT (paywall)
“Declining financing, censorship and changing tastes could all scupper the industry’s hopes of a strong recovery after three years of lockdowns shut theaters across the country.”

Chinese New Year brings slight improvement to China’s economy
China economy shows muted improvement during holiday period / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s economy showed a few signs of improvement in January as the country charted a path through its second month without COVID-zero curbs, though a major holiday season kept a lid on some activity.”
Who will take on China’s biggest economic challenges? A guide to the power players / SCMP (paywall)
“As China reopens, it faces a rocky road to a sustainable recovery, with economic officials confronting the daunting tasks of reviving market confidence, propping up the real estate sector and countering a weak external market.”

Baidu turns its AI brains to ChatGPT clone
China’s Baidu developing its own ChatGPT, joining global AI race / WSJ (paywall)
“China’s Baidu Inc. has thrust itself into a global race to commercialize the next-generation of artificial-intelligence technologies…the company is developing an AI-powered chatbot similar to OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT and plans to integrate it into its main search engine in March.”

TikTok’s adventures in Washington
TikTok’s chief to testify before Congress in March / WSJ (paywall)
“TikTok’s chief executive has agreed to appear before a congressional committee in March, as House Republican lawmakers step up scrutiny of the Chinese-owned video-sharing app.”
TikTok ban faces obscure hurdle: the Berman Amendments / WSJ (paywall)

The government wants consumerism
China targets consumption in bid to drive growth / FT (paywall)
“The Chinese government has vowed to make consumption the “main driving force” of the economy as hope grows that Beijing’s abandonment of zero-Covid policies will unleash a flood of spending by Chinese consumers, fuelling a global rebound.”

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENT:

Xinjiang rattled by earthquake
Earthquake rocks China’s northwestern Xinjiang region / AP
“Residents and travelers sought shelter after a strong earthquake rocked a remote part of northwestern China on Monday morning.No injuries or major damage have been reported following the temblor that struck the Xinjiang region at 7:49 a.m., according to the official Xinhua News Agency.”

Chinese developed COVID drugs approved for distribution in country
China approves two domestically developed COVID drugs / Reuters
“The drugs, used for treating adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infections, have been developed by Simcere Pharmaceutical Group and a unit of Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co Ltd, the administration said in a statement on its website.”
China gives conditional nod to two homegrown COVID antivirals / Bloomberg (paywall)

Concerns about new variants put to ease as New Year comes to a close
China finds no new variants despite massive New Year migration / Bloomberg (paywall)
“No new COVID-19 variants were detected in China during the Lunar New Year holiday when millions of people returned to their hometowns, a mass migration that potentially helped the virus spread in the world’s most populous country.”

After the lockdowns, Chinese people now look to fulfill their wanderlust
Burned out by COVID, Chinese professionals take up nomadic life: ‘I wasted so much time’ / Los Angeles Times (paywall)
“Exact figures on how many people are living such lifestyles are elusive. But surveys show a growing interest in jobs that are more accommodating to different schedules and locations.”

Tourist industry on the rise after holiday boom in China
Holiday trips within China surge after COVID curbs lifted / Reuters
“Lunar New Year holiday trips inside China surged 74% from last year after authorities scrapped COVID-19 travel curbs, state media reported on Saturday, though the number of journeys was still only half of pre-pandemic levels.”

POLITICS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

U.S.-China WTO clashes drive home rising tensions
China, U.S. spar at WTO meeting over disputes / Reuters
“China and the United States exchanged sharp criticism at a World Trade Organization meeting on Friday, with Beijing calling Washington a “unilateral bully” and the U.S. accusing its rival of illegal retaliatory measures.”
U.S.-China clash at WTO highlights divisions ahead of visit by Antony Blinken / SCMP (paywall)

Biden’s protection for Hong Kong residents isn’t going over well in Hong Kong
Hong Kong protests Biden extension of deportation protection / AP
“Hong Kong has protested President Joe Biden’s two-year extension of a program that protects residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese city living in the U.S. from deportation, accusing Washington of ‘demonstrating sinister intentions and hegemonic bullying.’”

Unmarried people can now get child-rearing perks in Sichuan
China’s Sichuan frees unmarried people to legally have children / Reuters
“Health authorities in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan will allow unmarried individuals to raise a family and enjoy benefits reserved for married couples, in the latest effort to bolster a falling birth rate.”

The U.S. claims China is supporting Russia, and China thinks that’s hogwash
China dismisses U.S. claims of support for Russia as ‘paranoia’ / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China hit back at a report that the US has confronted it with evidence suggesting some of its state-owned firms may be helping Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying Washington should stop sending weapons if it wants the conflict to end.”
Russia seeks ‘new level’ of China ties / Reuters
Russia boosts China trade to counter Western sanctions / WSJ (paywall)

China calls for Israel to stop violence from spiraling out of control after violent raid
China urges ‘restraint’ after Israeli raid on Palestinian refugee camp kills 10 / SCMP (paywall)
“China has asked Israel to exercise restraint after another Palestinian died in an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, bringing the death toll to 10.”

California shootings separated families and claimed the lives of five Chinese citizens
A Lunar New Year celebration turns tragic for couple that loved dancing. / NYT (paywall)
“Jeff and Nancy Liu arrived at the dance studio in Monterey Park on Saturday night to celebrate the Lunar New Year. But what should have been a night of celebration turned into a night of horrors, their daughter, Juno Blees, would later recount, when Mr. Liu saw a man storm in with a gun, and open fire.”
Five Chinese citizens killed in California shooting – consulate

Chinese coast guard clashes with Japanese boats in disputed East China Sea
China coast guard drives away Japanese vessels from disputed waters in the East China Sea / Reuters
“China’s coast guard drove away Japanese vessels from waters around disputed East China Sea islets on Monday, according to Chinese state media.”

Visas and COVID curbs for travelers in and out of China
China says it resumes issuing ordinary visas for Japanese citizens / Reuters
“China has resumed the issuance of ordinary visas for Japanese citizens traveling to the country, the Chinese embassy in Japan said on Sunday, in a move that could ease a diplomatic row.”
China resumes visas for Japanese on apparent economic concerns / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
China announces resumption of visas for Japanese / AP
China resumes visas for Japan, ending Covid retaliation / Bloomberg (paywall)
South Korea extends restrictions on travelers from China / AP
France extends mandatory COVID tests for Chinese travelers until Feb 15 / Reuters

Chinese students return to universities overseas
China presses students to head back to overseas universities / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China’s government told students pursuing degrees at foreign universities that it’s time to get back to class, another sign that life in the world’s second-biggest economy is returning to normal after three years of harsh Covid Zero rules.”
Lockdowns prompt Chinese studying overseas to think twice about returning home / SCMP (paywall)

China is expanding its railways, but can they make a profit
China Railway expands high-speed network as profits take back seat / Nikkei Asia (paywall)
“China State Railway Group, known as China Railway, has announced plans to extend those tracks by about 6% in 2023 even as many routes are mired in losses and passenger demand slumps due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Can Europe mine its own rare earths
Sweden’s big rare earth discovery seen as ‘game changer’ amid China dominance / SCMP (paywall)|”
The discovery this month of Europe’s largest-known deposit of rare earth oxides – estimated at more than 1 million tonnes – in Sweden’s far north has raised hopes of reducing reliance on China for critical raw materials.”

The alarm bells around Taiwan ring once more in U.S. general’s memo
Odds ‘very high’ of U.S. military conflict with China, top Republican says / Reuters
“A top Republican in the U.S. Congress said on Sunday the odds of conflict with China over Taiwan “are very high” after a U.S. general caused consternation with a memo that warned that the United States would fight China in the next two years.”
‘Very high’ odds of war with China, U.S. Republican warns / Al Jazeera

The U.S. Marines get closer to China
Marine Corps officially opens Guam base, with an eye toward China / Marine Times
“The Marine Corps has in recent years shifted its attention toward threats from China. One aspect of Force Design 2030, the sweeping overhaul of the service developed amid the heightened focus on the Indo-Pacific, is constantly positioning Marines within the region to deter the Chinese military.”

Kevin McCarthy will visit Taiwan, but China is ready to repeat what happened last time
China urges Kevin McCarthy not to repeat Pelosi visit to Taiwan / Bloomberg (paywall)
“China called on U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy not to visit Taiwan, raising the specter of a repeat of the showdown last year when his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, made her own trip to the democratically run island.”

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Food bloggers and endangered animals
Food blogger who cooked and ate great white shark is fined $18,500 / Bloomberg (paywall)
“A food blogger in China was fined 125,000 yuan ($18,500) by authorities after she posted a video showing her illegally buying and eating a great white shark, a clip that prompted a backlash online.”

The iconic life of one of the world’s longest-working disc jockeys
Ray Cordeiro, a voice on Hong Kong’s airwaves for 70 years, dies at 98 / NYT (paywall)
“Late-night radio listeners in Hong Kong associated Mr. Cordeiro’s sonorous voice with easy-listening standards and early rock. He worked until he was 96.”

Taiwan’s oldest city reignited by creative wave
Chefs and bartenders are injecting new life into Taiwan’s oldest city / NYT (paywall)
“Over the past several years, visitors have found even more reasons to explore the city. In the maze-like lanes, a fresh wave of creatives have transformed a number of Tainan’s neglected structures into craft studios and boutiques…and celebrated cocktail bars, including Moonrock and the whiskey-centric TCRC.”

The artist striving to preserve Texas’s history of Chinese railroad workers
The forgotten history of Chinese railroad workers rises from the Texas dust / NYT (paywall)
“In a creative departure, the artist Kenneth Tam spent the last year creating sculptures that honor the lives of Chinese laborers in Texas who helped build the country’s railroad system.”

Body of teen missing for 100 days found in woods outside of school
Body of missing Chinese teen Hu Xinyu found in woodland near school / SCMP (paywall)
“DNA tests have confirmed that a body found in woodland in eastern China is that of a teenager who disappeared from his school dormitory more than 100 days ago.”

Rural traditions called into question following controversial wedding ceremony video
Hazing havoc: violent Chinese wedding ‘ceremony’ sees bride attacked and piled upon by group of burly men sparking outrage among millions online / SCMP (paywall)
“Mainland social media is up in arms over a violent wedding hazing in China in which a bride was pinned to the ground and piled upon by a group of men before having foam sprayed all over her face.”

His bookstore was a haven for liberal thought in China, now his wife is stuck in China
China’s displeasure with a bookseller follows him to Florida / WSJ (paywall)
Yú Miǎo 于淼 “built Shanghai’s Jifeng Bookstore into a bastion of liberal thought, until it became a prime target in Chinese leader Xi Jinping‘s assault on free speech.”