What’s Next for Commercial Diplomacy with China?

Paul Haenle & Penny Pritzker from Carnegie China
As the chief commercial advocate for U.S. businesses in policymaking, the Department of Commerce plays a crucial role in the U.S.-China trade and economic relationship. In the 99th episode of the China in the World Podcast, Paul Haenle spoke with...

Africa Is Changing China as Much as China Is Changing Africa

Lily Kuo
Quartz
In African countries, increasingly you find Chinese people who never meant to stay as long as they have. But now, they say they can’t go home, because being in Africa has changed them.

Trump Is Reportedly Targeting China in Aggressive Trade Crackdown

Sam Meredith
CNBC
President Donald Trump will unveil plans for an aggressive trade crackdown over the coming weeks, according to a report by Politico.

France’s Macron Visits China to Talk Fairer Trade and the Future

Rick Noack and James McAuley
Washington Post
As French President Emmanuel Macron began his three-day visit to China on Monday, he arrived with a bold message. “Europe is back,” he said.

Bitcoin Miners Are Shifting outside China amid State Clampdown

Bloomberg
As China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies broadens to bitcoin miners, some of the industry’s biggest players are shifting operations overseas.

China and the US ‘Are about to Ride a Bumpy Journey,’ State News Agency Says

Huileng Tan
CNBC
China warned of a “bumpy journey” in trade with the U.S. and “retaliatory measures” a day after Washington blocked MoneyGram's proposed sale to a financial services firm affiliated with Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

Beijing to Build $2 Billion AI Research Park: Xinhua

Reuters
Beijing is planning to build a 13.8 billion yuan ($2.12 billion) artificial intelligence development park in the city’s west, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as China pushes ahead to fulfill its ambition to become a world leader in AI by...

The China Trade War Has Already Begun: CEO Daily for January 4, 2018

Alan Murray and Tom Huddleston Jr.
Fortune
Gordon Orr, director emeritus of McKinsey and long-time China hand, wrote recently that many Chinese investors now “simply assume that they could not get approval for investment in the United States, and so won’t try.” 

Http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/Macron-Heading-China-Strengthen-Economic-Ties-52133070

Samuel Petrequin
ABC
French President Emmanuel Macron will head to China next week to strengthen commercial ties with the world's second-largest economy.

China Land Grab on Lake Baikal Raises Russian Ire

Charles Clover and Archie Zhang
Financial Times
A sleepy tourist town on the shores of Siberia’s Lake Baikal has become an unlikely lightning rod among Russian nationalists after Chinese investors bought up properties on the town’s lakefront.

Industrial Parks Are Africa’s Latest Gamble to Lure Chinese Manufacturers

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Freelance journalist William Davison joins Eric and Cobus to discuss his reporting from the Hawassa Industrial Park in Ethiopia, which is the latest high-stakes gamble taken by a number of African countries to lure Chinese manufacturers. Officials...

Geely Buys Stake in Volvo Trucks, despite China Restrictions

Sui-Lee Wee
New York Times
China’s government has made it harder to move money overseas. It has said it would punish companies for investing in certain sectors. It has told firms to report all cross-border deals.

Trump Readies Tougher ‘America First’ Line for China Trade in 2018

David J. Lynch
Washington Post
The Trump administration is setting the stage to unveil tough new trade penalties against China early next year, moving closer to an oft-promised crackdown that some U.S. business executives fear will ignite a costly battle.

Huawei's China Smartphone Sales Chief Detained on Corruption Charges

Li Tao
South China Morning Post
A senior Huawei Technologies sales executive has been arrested over suspected “non-state staff bribery”, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Copper Rallies to Three-Year High as China Plant Halts Output

Joe Deaux, Winnie Zhu and Eddie van der...
Bloomberg
Copper in London surged to the highest in almost four years after China ordered its top producer to halt output to combat winter pollution, fueling a rally this year driven by optimism about demand and supply disruptions at mines.

Shifts in U.S. Global Leadership

Paul Haenle & Jake Sullivan from Carnegie China
Power in the world is increasingly being measured and exercised in economic terms with China, and other significant countries are already treating economic power as a core part of their statecraft. But Jake Sullivan, a former senior official in the...

Tech Titans Wage War in China's next Internet Revolution

Wall Street Journal
As Alibaba and Tencent do battle for supremacy, companies and consumers will be caught in the crossfire

China Is out of the 2018 Russia World Cup—but Its Businesses Are Not

Quartz
China is not sending a team to the 2018 Russia World Cup, to the dismay of fans. But the country’s businesses are not going to miss the world’s most popular sports event.

China Inflicted a World of Pain on South Korea in 2017

Quartz
Perhaps no other country felt the economic cost of China’s wrath as South Korea did this year.

What Happened on China's New Silk Road in 2017

Forbes
Year four of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is now in the books. 

China to USA: 'Stop Deliberately Distorting' Our Global Strategy

CNBC
China hit back at the U.S. after it branded the East Asian giant a competitor, accusing it of distorting the country's intentions and adopting a "Cold War" mentality.

China Shrugs off Debt Worries as Xi Takes Firmer Economic Grip

New York Times
It’s Xi Jinping’s economy now, and he isn’t too worried about debt.

Conversation

12.19.17

Trump’s National Security Strategy and China

Zha Daojiong, Pamela Kyle Crossley & more
On December 18, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced the United States’ new national security strategy. He called China a “strategic competitor,” and, along with Russia, called it a “revisionist power.” Those two nations, Trump said, are...

China Property Price Growth Slows to 21-Month Low

Hudson Lockett
Financial Times
Growth in the cost of new housing in China decelerated for a twelfth straight month in November, according to official figures, marking the slowest rise since early 2016.

China Plans to Kill Local Subsidies for Electric Cars

Bloomberg News
Bloomberg
The Ministry of Finance is working on a plan that would mandate authorities to phase out the incentives to discourage protectionism and help rein in state expenditure, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing...

Google Plans Big AI Push in China

Fortune
Google is expanding its artificial intelligence, or AI research to China.

What to Do about China's "Sharp Power"

Economist
WHEN a rising power challenges an incumbent one, war often follows.

Conversation

12.13.17

Is Chinese Investment Good for Workers?

Aaron Halegua, Yu Zheng & more
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a $1 trillion plan to deepen economic relations between itself and up to 60 other countries worldwide through large investments in infrastructure, construction, and other projects. Many commentators have...

Google to Open Beijing AI Center in Latest Expansion in China

Shelly Banjo and David Ramli
Bloomberg
Google is deepening its push into China as it seeks an edge in one of technology’s most competitive fields: artificial intelligence.

China and the Rise of Africa’s New Autocrats

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Anzetse Were is a Nairobi-based international development economist and newspaper columnist who is increasingly worried about a resurgence of autocratic rule in Africa. Buoyed by the United States’ apparent receding interest in promoting democratic...

China's Debt Levels Pose Stability Risk, Says IMF

Guardian
Fears that China risks being the cause of a fresh global financial crisis have been highlighted by the International Monetary Fund in a hard-hitting warning about the growing debt-dependency of the world’s second biggest economy.

Why China's GDP Growth Rate Tells Us Nothing about Its Economy

Fortune
China clocked in GDP growth of 6.9% in the first three quarters of 2017, and is set to end the year at 6.8%. But Peking University finance professor Michael Pettis believes that the figure is no indication of the actual state of the Chinese economy.

China Will Lead an Electric Car Future, Ford's Chairman Says

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
The world’s automakers are just starting to bet on an electric car future — and already, one of the most powerful people in the industry says that future belongs to China.

Trump Wasn’t Soft with Xi Jinping on Trade Gap, Says US Ambassador to China

Holly Ellyatt, Geoff Cutmore, Eunice...
CNBC
The U.S. ambassador to China has defended President Donald Trump’s stance towards the Asian nation during his recent visit, amid criticism that the U.S president was too soft on trade imbalances between the two superpowers.

Will Tech Firms Challenge China’s ‘Open’ Internet?

Robin Brant
BBC
China has been smart and ruthless in its control of the internet within its borders. It blocks some foreign sites altogether and it censors - heavily - what Chinese are allowed to see.

China’s Drive for Cleaner Energy Is Causing a Gas Shortage for Winter

Huileng Tan
CNBC
China's push to clean up its environment may have had an unintended consequence: a shortage of heating fuel supply is hitting some regions in the dead of winter, sending prices of domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) to a three-year high.

China Will Lead an Electric Car Future, Ford's Chairman Says

Keith Bradsher
New York Times
Speaking in Shanghai, William C. Ford Jr., Ford Motor’s longtime executive chairman, outlined why in an unusually blunt comment. “When I think of where E.V.s are going,” he said, using an abbreviation for electric vehicles, “it’s clearly the case...

The Underclass That Threatens Xi's 'China Dream'

Andrew Browne
Wall Street Journal
Beijing’s mass evictions of migrants cast a chill over Xi’s lofty equality goals.

Special Report: Hidden Peril Awaits China’s Banks as Property Binge Fuels Mortgage Fraud Frenzy

Engen Tham, Clare Jim, Yawen Chen
Reuters
While property prices in China continue to rise, mortgage fraud remains largely a hidden danger, much as subprime loans in the United States remained mostly out of sight ahead of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Free Trade Talks with China Will Not yet Begin

Chris Hall
CBC News
Canada will not begin formal free trade talks with China — at least not yet.

China in Pole Position amid 'Desperate' Global Race to Secure Lithium Supplies

Sam Meredith
CNBC
China is outpacing the U.S. and other countries in a global race to secure supplies of an all-important element for electric cars.

Trump's First Major Trade Fight with China Could Be over Solar Panels

New York Times
With President Trump vowing to get tougher on trade, troubled American makers of everything from steel tubing and aluminum foil to washing machines have lined up to ask Washington for protection from foreign rivals.

U.S. Seeks to Deny China Market Economy Status in WTO

Shawn Donnan
Financial Times
The Trump administration has opposed China’s bid for recognition as a “market economy” in the World Trade Organization, citing decades of legal precedent and what it sees as signs the country is moving in the opposite direction under Xi Jinping.

Chinese Manufacturing Expanded More Than Expected in November

Yen Nee Lee
CNBC
China reported on Thursday that factory activity expanded at a quicker pace in November, with the official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index coming in at 51.8 — topping expectations.

Trump Starts Probe into Aluminum That China Calls Protectionist

Joe Deaux and Andrew Mayeda
Bloomberg
The Trump administration, invoking powers the U.S. hasn’t used in more than a quarter century, began a probe into Chinese aluminum imports that could lead to tariffs.

Chinese Stocks Are Beginning to Show 'Cracks.' Here's What It Means

Rebecca Ungarino
CNBC
China’s stock market has been steadily rising all year, but according to one technician the charts are beginning to show signs of weakness.

China Fintech Lending Boom Fuels Risks of Data Theft Black Market in User Details Thrives as Apps Require Borrowers to Grant Access to Phones

Gabriel Wildau and Yizhen Jia
Financial Times
The rise of online consumer loans in China has spawned a thriving black market in stolen user data.

Xi Jinping Makes China’s Toilets a Number Two Priority

Benjamin Haas
Guardian
Chinese urged to ‘Advance the Toilet Revolution Steadily’ and do away with squalid communal facilities as a national imperative.

Chinese Premier Backs More Investments in Eastern Europe

Pablo Gorondi
ABC
At a summit of 16 countries in the Hungarian capital, Premier Li Keqiang said efforts such as China’s “new Silk Road” initiative to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe, should be a boon to the countries that were formally part of the...

Chinese Premier Backs More Investments in Eastern Europe

Pablo Gorondi
At a summit of 16 countries in the Hungarian capital, Premier Li Keqiang said efforts such as China’s “new Silk Road” initiative to expand trade across Asia, Africa and Europe, should be a boon to the countries that were formally part of the...

Early China Indicators Signal That Economy Cooled This Month

Bloomberg News
Bloomberg
Confidence among China’s sales managers and steel producers waned in November, matching the mood among international investors, while sentiment among small businesses improved, according to the earliest available indicators.

Business Is Booming Between China, Japan and South Korea — the US Should Get in on It

Michael Ivanovitch
CNBC
China, Japan and South Korea account for a quarter of the world’s output of goods and services. Their combined trade surplus is currently running at an annual rate of $400 billion. They can recycle that trade income to finance, with interest, most...

Air China Indefinitely Suspends Flights between Beijing and Pyongyang

Reuters
Air China Ltd has indefinitely suspended flights between Beijing and Pyongyang, citing poor demand as North Korea faces growing sanctions from the United States over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

A New Generation Looks at the China-Africa Relationship

Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden & more
Independent filmmakers Jidi Guo and Philip Man join Eric and Cobus to discuss their new documentary about how a new generation is responding to China’s growing influence in Kenya. This is the first documentary produced by the Shanghai-based pair,...

China to Fend off Bubble Risk with Tighter Property Rules

David Reid
CNBC
The authorities said they would stop funds being illegally funneled into property and that capital flow would be more forcibly balanced between real estate and other industries.

Chinese Social Media Giant Is Worth More Than Facebook

Daniel Shane
CNN
Tencent shares closed more than 2% higher in Hong Kong on Tuesday, valuing the social media and gaming giant at around $522 billion, according to FactSet. Facebook is currently worth a little over $519 billion.

China's Revealing Spin on the ‘Sharing Economy’

Brook Larmer
New York Times
China is the first country to frame “sharing economy” as a “national priority.” It fits with the image that Beijing wants to project: warm, generous, egalitarian.

The North Korean Nuclear Threat: The View From Beijing

Paul Haenle & Jen Psaki from Carnegie China
North Korea was atop the list of priorities for President Donald Trump during his first visit to China, but it remains to be seen how much substantive progress was made on bringing parties closer to a dialogue aimed at denuclearizing the Korean...

Depth of Field

11.20.17

Fake Girlfriends, Chengdu Rappers, and a Chow Chow Making Bank

Ye Ming, Yan Cong & more from Yuanjin Photo
Lonely dog owners in Beijing and a rented girlfriend in Fujian; the last Oroqen hunters in Heilongjiang and homegrown hip hop in Chengdu; young Chinese in an Indian tech hub and Hong Kong apartments only slightly larger than coffins—these are some...