Caixin Media

08.09.16

China's New 'Bad Loan' Managers: Savvy Saviors or Riskier than Ever?

As China's economy slows and defaults rise, 'bad loan' managers say they spot an opportunity to pick up bargains, because lenders are eager to shed toxic debt that might otherwise poison the broader financial system. Yet questions...

Sinica Podcast

08.08.16

Clay Shirky on Tech and the Internet in China

Kaiser Kuo, Jeremy Goldkorn & more from Sinica Podcast
The Internet expert and author of “Here Comes Everybody” gives his take on China's successes and challenges in the online world. In an hour-long conversation Shirky delves into the details and big-picture phenomena driving the globe’s largest...

China Exports Slide on Weak Demand

Mark Magnier
Wall Street Journal
Global uncertainty and headwinds continue to buffet the world’s second-largest economy.

Conversation

08.03.16

What Does Uber’s Retreat Say About the Ability of U.S. Internet Innovators to Succeed in China?

Kaiser Kuo, Angela Bao & more
In early August, news broke that Uber would sell its China business to Didi Chuxing, its largest rival on the Mainland. Uber is just the latest in a series of tech companies—including Google, Twitter, and Amazon, among others—that found the Middle...

Uber’s China Exit

Wall Street Journal
China isn’t big enough for two ride-sharing companies....

China’s Taikang Life Insurance Takes 13.5% Stake in Sotheby’s

Kelly Crow
Wall Street Journal
The life insurance company also expressed interest in possibly nominating directors to Sotheby’s board.

Gig Economy Arrives in China (Officially); Ride-Sharing a Go

New York Times
A Cabinet document sets guidelines for registration, fares, employment of drivers and payments.

A Chinese Millionaire’s $1.3bn Plan to ‘Transform’ Sheffield

John Sudworth
BBC
The deal has the backing of the British government.

Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones are Good — and Cheap

Alex Webb
Bloomberg
Apple has lost market share to Huawei and Oppo.

Environment

07.21.16

Chengdu’s Pollution Is Complicated by Taxi Apps

from chinadialogue
Research carried out by Peking University’s Statistical Science Centre and Guanghua School of Management found that Chengdu suffers from air pollution 88 percent of the time—even worse than Beijing at 76 percent.

China’s Short-Changing Its Future

Christopher Balding
Bloomberg
One of the most critical tasks is developing a workforce for the 21st century.

Samsung Bets on China’s BYD for Growth

In-soo Nam
Wall Street Journal
The South Korean technology giant plans to invest in the electric vehicle and battery maker’s $2.3 billion share sale.

Likely Hack of U.S. Banking Regulator by China Covered Up

Jason Lange and Dustin Volz
Reuters
The report was released amid growing concern about the vulnerability of the international banking system.

Greenpeace Warns Over China’s Excess Power Capacity

Lucy Hornby
Financial Times
Overcapacity is dogging swathes of Chinese industry, including steel and petrochemicals, stifling profitability and damaging the environment.

China’s Wanda Shows Interest in Viacom’s Paramount

Liana B. Baker and Jessica Toonkel
Reuters
Deliberations over Paramount’s future has become the flashpoint of a bitter row between Viacom Chief Executive and the company’s controlling shareholder.

Conversation

07.12.16

China’s Claims in the South China Sea Rejected

Andrew S. Erickson, Peter Dutton & more
On Tuesday in the Hague, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claims that a scattering of rocks and reefs in the contested South China Sea qualify as Exclusive Economic Zones for China. The court found in favor of the Philippines’...

Odeon And UCI Cinemas Sold to China-Owned Firm

BBC
The Cinema group has been bought by AMC, owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda....

China Was Once a Hot Destination for African Migrants, Not Any More

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
It was not that long ago that entire neighborhoods in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou were overflowing with African migrants. Although there are no precise figures, scholars estimated that between 20,000-100,000 African immigrants used to...

Russia Stalls China’s $1 Billion Hydropower Loan for Mongolia

Michael Kohn
Bloomberg
The Kremlin said the hydropower project in northern Mongolia could threaten Lake Baikal 580 kilometers downstream.

Survey: Indian Firms Best, China Worst on Transparency

New York Times
The report highlighted the urgent need for big multinational companies to do more to fight corruption.

Walmart Workers Launch Wildcat Strikes Across China

Yuan Yang
Financial Times
The strike has realised the Communist party’s fear of co-ordinated cross-country labour unrest.

Environment

07.06.16

China-Backed Hydropower Project Could Disturb a Sensitive Siberian Ecosystem

from Rivers without Boundaries
Lake Baikal contains 20 percent of the world’s freshwater resources and affects the regional climate of North Asia and the Arctic Basin. The lake is home to 2,500 aquatic species and local communities in Mongolia and Russia revere the lake as the “...

Look Who’s Winning A New Generation of U.S.-China Patent Disputes

Ralph Jennings
Forbes
Beijing Intellectual Property Office has ruled that some Apple devices violate Chinese patented designs....

Depth of Field

07.01.16

Tornados and Drag Queens

Ye Ming, Yan Cong & more from Yuanjin Photo
Being a photojournalist involves reacting to breaking news, a dedication to long-term projects, and everything in between. This month’s showcase of work by Chinese photographers published in Chinese media underscores this range of angles: from the...

Features

07.01.16

The Rockets’ Red Glare

Kathleen McLaughlin & Noy Thrupkaew from Slate
The vast majority of the world’s fireworks come from China. And sometimes they explode early, with deadly consequences.

Infographics

06.30.16

Visualizing China’s Aid to Africa

Eva Constantaras
In June of last year, 50 countries signed on to the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, including the U.K., Germany, Australia, and South Korea, acknowledgement of China’s success in driving development through mega-projects to build...

Netflix Eyes China as New Market

Fortune
Netflix is trying to counter slowing growth in the U.S. by moving into 130 new markets worldwide.

China Opens Door to Foreign Private-Equity Funds

Shen Hong
Wall Street Journal
Regulator says funds must raise money from domestic investors, invest in Chinese capital markets.

China to Tolerate Weaker Yuan, Wary of Trade Partners’ Reaction

Kevin Yao, Nathaniel Taplin, and Lu...
Reuters
The yuan is already trading at its lowest level in more than five years.

Caixin Media

06.30.16

Chinese Investment in Euro Soccer Soars to Meet President’s Goals

Chinese companies are buying soccer teams across Europe, echoing the Beijing government’s ambitious plan to turn the nation into a soccer powerhouse.The powerhouse plan, which has backing from President Xi Jinping, has led to nine deals inked by...

China Stocks Extend One of The World’s Best Post-Brexit Rallies

Bloomberg
Shanghai composite climbs as the MSCI All-Country World Index tumbles....

Days After Disney Opened Its First theme Park, It Is Already Planning a Second

Zheping Huang
Quartz
Disney tries to keep China’s allurement to the Disney empire under control....

‘Destined to Disappear’: The Last Generation of China’s ‘Bang-Bang’ Army

Chris Buckley
New York Times
Itinerant porters face a vocational extinction in the towering hills of Chongqing....

What the Newly Branded China-Europe ‘Silk Road’ Trains Really Mean

Wade Shepard
Forbes
Trans-continental railway with fresh, uniform logos are set to launch on an auspicious date....

Uber Positions Its China App as More than a Ride-Hailing Service

Megan Rose Dickey
TechCrunch
Uber’s new vision for China includes two new offerings, UberLIFE and Uber + Travel, which will roll out across China this year.

When Walt Went to China

Charles Clover
Financial Times
Disney’s theme park in Shanghai promises a ‘rain of renminbi’—but also fuels paranoia about American cultural dominance.

China and South Korea Sound Notes of Caution

Jane Perlez and Chris Buckley
New York Times
The People’s Daily said the British vote could indirectly unsettle China’s economy in the short term but was unlikely to leave deep, lasting damage.

Predictions For Post-Brexit China-UK Business

Klaus E. Meyer
Forbes
We have to look at the motives of Chinese investors in Europe.

The British Brexit Vote Is Awful News for China

Josh Horwitz and Heather Timmons
Quartz
Behind Xi’s opposition to the UK leaving is China’s difficult trade situation with the European Union.

Why the Stakes Are So High for China in South Sudan

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Nowhere else in Africa do China’s financial, diplomatic, and geopolitical interests confront as much risk as they do in South Sudan. Beijing has invested billions of dollars in the country’s oil sector, deployed over a thousand troops to serve as U...

For LinkedIn China, Microsoft Deal Is a Complicated Connection

Alyssa Abkowitz
Wall Street Journal
The professional networking site has found success in China, while its new owner has faced challenges.

Chinese Economic Cyber-Espionage Plummets in U.S.

Joesph Menn, Jim Finkle
Reuters
U.S. network security companies notice a 90 percent decrease in Chinese hackers, as promised by the Chinese government....

Find-a-Journalist App Highlights Murky Media Practices in China

Pei Li
Wall Street Journal
The app connects companies seeking publicity and journalists interested in pocketing some extra cash.

China Coalminers Seek New Debt Terms

Lucy Hornby
Financial Times
Some of China’s largest state-owned coalminers are asking banks to relax payment terms on loans, as a profound slump in prices devastates China’s coal heartland.

China Orders 255 Shanghai Industrial Facilities to Shut for G20

Meng Meng and Chen Aizhu
Reuters
The document, issued by the Shanghai Environment Protection Bureau, has ordered a wide range of companies to shut down for 14 days ahead of the G20 meet in Hangzhou.

Nephew of China’s Former Domestic Security Tsar Jailed for Graft

Megha Rajagopalan
Channel NewsAsia
Zhou’s family has been ensnared in President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on corruption, a broad campaign that has felled officials at all levels of government including many of Xi’s top political opponents.

Environment

06.16.16

Can Cement Clean Up Its Act?

from chinadialogue
Cement is the most widely used substance on the planet after water. It is also one of the most polluting—producing between 5-8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than twice that attributed to aviation. Cement’s carbon footprint...

Alibaba Faces Backlash Over Promises on Counterfeits

Kathy Chu
Wall Street Journal
E-commerce giant has said it would spare no expense in cracking down on sellers of fake goods on its sites; Ma’s latest comments irk brands.

China Business Climate Draws Fire From U.S. Treasury Secretary

William Mauldin
Wall Street Journal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says “high-standard bilateral investment treaty” would strengthen climate for U.S. businesses in China.

Liverpool Takeover: State-Backed Chinese Group Want to Buy Club From Fenway For £700m

Simon Hughes
Independent
The group, SinoFortone, has already explored the potential of building a new stadium in the dockland area of Liverpool.

Uber Rival’s $28 Billion Valuation Shows Size of China’s Ride-Sharing Market

Paul Mozer and Michael J. de la Merced
New York Times
Recent fund-raising rounds in the ride-sharing market show that China is one of the most expensive markets in the world.

Disney's China Fairytale Begins With $5.5 Billion Park Opening

Adam Jourdan
Reuters
The park is a bet on China's middle class and booming domestic tourism.

Disney CEO Iger Says China Has ‘Incredible Potential’

Paul Traynor
ABC
The 5.5 billion dollar theme park is designed to be “distinctly Chinese”.....

Didi Chuxing, China’s Rival to Uber, Scores $7 Billion in New Funding

Juro Osawa
Wall Street Journal
The nation’s biggest ride sharing company succeeds in latest fundraising effort....

Disney Shares Keys To Magic Kingdom With China

David Barboza and Brooks Barnes
New York Times
A much needed partnership leaves the Communist Party with final say in everything from admssion price to ride design....

China Evicts Hundreds To Make Way For Disney Park

CBS News
Shanghai residents and businesses are displaces with little to no compensation....

China, Hong Kong Shares Fall as Global Investors Flee Risky Assets

Samuel Shen and Nathaniel Taplin
Reuters
Investors fretted ahead of this week's central bank meetings and Britain's referendum on whether to remain in the EU.