Category Archives: China

More than half a million ‘TikTok refugees’ flock to China’s RedNote as ban looms

Posted on by

RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, rockets to top of US app stores, along with ByteDance’s Lemon8

New users have piled in to the Chinese social media app RedNote just days before a proposed US ban on the popular social media app TikTok, as the lesser-known company rushes to capitalize on the sudden influx while walking a delicate line of moderating English-language content.

In a live chat dubbed “TikTok Refugees” on RedNote on Monday, more than 50,000 US and Chinese users joined the room. Veteran Chinese users, with some sense of bewilderment, welcomed their American counterparts and swapped notes with them on topics such as food and youth unemployment. Occasionally, however, the Americans veered into riskier territory.

Continue reading...

Chinese officials reportedly discuss sale of TikTok in US to Elon Musk

Posted on by

Tech company rejects as ‘pure fiction’ a report that a deal could take place if it fails to avoid an impending ban

Chinese officials have reportedly held preliminary talks about a potential option to sell TikTok’s operations in the US to the billionaire Elon Musk, should the short-video app be unable to avoid an impending ban. Another option is that Musk acts as a broker in a deal to sell the app.

Beijing officials prefer that TikTok remains under the control of its Chinese parent, Bytedance, but have discussed other options including a sale to Musk, Bloomberg reported. The Financial Times reported on the same day that the officials had discussed the preliminary possibility of Musk functioning as a go-between for Bytedance and any potential buyer that would prevent the app from being shut down.

Continue reading...

Reeves’ drive for growth seeks China lifeline after UK market turmoil

Posted on by

Chancellor’s mission to Beijing weighted with greater expectations

Rachel Reeves hailed a new era of “respectful and consistent future relations with China” as pressure grew on the embattled ­chancellor to deliver on her government’s central promise to fire up UK economic growth.

After meeting China’s vice-­premier, He Lifeng, in Beijing, Reeves said Britain’s relationship with the world’s second largest economy would be “frank and open on areas where we disagree”, while stressing it would be pragmatic in ­“finding opportunities for safe trade and investment”.

Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves heads to China to build bridges, but a new golden era of relations is impossible

Posted on by

Seeking business partners post-Brexit is sound policy, but even in these darker geopolitical times the UK will ultimately side with the US

Rachel Reeves will fly with a delegation of City grandees to China this week as Labour seeks closer economic links with Beijing as part of its quest for growth.

With the outlook increasingly rocky at home after a run of soft economic data, the chancellor is sorely in need of a positive story to tell.

Continue reading...

Taiwan investigating Chinese vessel over damage to undersea cable

Posted on by

Shunxing 39 was briefly detained by coastguard on Friday on suspicion of dragging anchor over cable running to US

Taiwanese authorities are investigating a Chinese-owned vessel that is suspected of damaging an undersea internet cable, causing limited disruption.

The Cameroon-registered vessel Shunxing 39 was briefly detained by Taiwan’s coastguard on Friday on suspicion of dragging its anchor over an international subsea cable north-east of the island. The cable runs to the US and is co-owned by several international companies.

Continue reading...

China’s yuan hits 16-month low amid fears over Trump tariffs

Posted on by

CSI 300 blue-chip stock index also trades weakly, hitting its lowest point since September

China’s currency hit a 16-month low on Monday, despite efforts by the central bank and stock exchanges to soothe investor worries about impending US tariffs under a Donald Trump presidency.

The tightly controlled yuan reached 7.3301 per US dollar, its weakest level since September 2023. It has routinely hit multi-month lows since Trump won the US election, promising massive tariffs on Chinese imports.

Continue reading...

Fire at food market in northern China kills eight people and injures 15

Posted on by

Cause of fire in city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province is under investigation

At least eight people have died and 15 are injured after a fire broke out at a food market in northern China, according to state media.

The fire at the Liguang market in the city of Zhangjiakou broke out at midday on Saturday and had been mostly extinguished two hours later, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a government official in Qiaoxi district where the market is located.

Continue reading...

Xi says China’s economy on course to expand by 5% despite Trump concerns

Posted on by

President seeks to allay fears that world’s second-largest economy will falter in 2025 because of high US tariffs

China’s economy is on course to expand by 5% in 2025, according to its president, Xi Jinping, meeting official growth targets and rebutting concerns that Donald Trump’s incoming US administration will harm Beijing’s prospects in the new year.

Using his annual address to the nation, Xi sought to allay fears that the world’s second-largest economy would falter over the next 12 months after the government battled to prevent a slide towards recession during 2024.

Continue reading...

Beijing denies involvement in US treasury cyber-attack

Posted on by

Claims a Chinese state-sponsored actor was behind breach this month are ‘groundless’, says foreign ministry

Beijing has hit back at accusations that a China state-sponsored actor was behind a cyber breach at the US treasury department, calling the claims “groundless”.

The breach was orchestrated via a third-party cybersecurity service provider. Hackers were able to gain access to a key used by the vendor to override certain parts of the system, according to a letter the treasury department sent to lawmakers on Monday.

Continue reading...

New Taiwanese boardgame offers chance to battle Chinese invasion

Posted on by

Mizo Games wants players to have a chance to ‘experience war on the tabletop before it reaches us’

As families in Taiwan prepare to gather for lunar new year celebrations in January, a game that will be released that month promises to offer some war-themed fun over the festive period.

The board game 2045, developed by the Taiwanese company Mizo Games, invites players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years in the future. Players are given roles that include Taiwanese army officers, Chinese sleeper agents and volunteer citizen fighters.

Continue reading...

Driver behind China car ramming attack that killed 35 is sentenced to death

Posted on by

Fan Weiqiu, angry at his divorce settlement, caused ‘great social harm’ when he drove into people as they exercised in the city of Zhuhai, court says

A court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing 35 people last month by driving into a crowd, in an attack that raised national concern about mass killings.

Fan Weiqiu was venting his anger because he was unhappy with his divorce settlement, the court in the southern city of Zhuhai said in handing down the sentence on Friday. The victims were exercising at a sports centre at the time of the attack. Fan pleaded guilty to endangering public safety by dangerous means, a court statement said.

Continue reading...

Trump asks US supreme court to pause ban-or-divest law for TikTok

Posted on by

Court will hear arguments in case that could see app banned in US if not sold to American firm by 19 January

President-elect Donald Trump has urged the US supreme court to pause implementation of a law that would ban popular social media app TikTok or force its sale, arguing he should have time after taking office to pursue a “political resolution” to the issue.

The court is set to hear arguments in the case on 10 January.

Continue reading...

Trump tells 37 people on death row with commuted sentences to ‘go to hell’

Posted on by

On Truth Social, president-elect also lashes out at Chinese troops in Panama Canal and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

Donald Trump has told 37 people on death row who had their sentences commuted by Joe Biden to “go to hell” in a lacerating Christmas Day social media post.

The president-elect – long a vocal advocate of capital punishment – lashed out at Biden’s decision on his Truth Social platform, after wishing a merry Christmas to political opponents he addressed as “Radical Left Lunatics”.

Continue reading...

Finland-Estonia power cable hit in latest Baltic Sea incident

Posted on by

The Finnish electricity grid’s head of operations says sabotage can’t be ruled out

An undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia broke down on Wednesday, Finland’s prime minister said, the latest in a series of incidents involving cables and energy pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

The Finnish electricity grid’s head of operations, Arto Pahkin, told the public broadcaster Yle that sabotage could not be ruled out.

Continue reading...

Hong Kong police issue bounties for six more overseas activists

Posted on by

HK$1m rewards target people accused of national security crimes who fled after pro-democracy protests

Hong Kong police have announced bounties of HK$1m (about £105,000) for information leading to the arrest of six democracy advocates based overseas and accused of national security crimes.

Authorities also said they would cancel the passports of seven others for whom bounties had already been issued, including the former lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, local media said.

Continue reading...

Many Americans’ cellphone data being hacked by China, official says

Posted on by

Cyber-espionage group ‘Salt Typhoon’ targeting ‘at least’ eight US telecom and telecom infrastructure firms

A large number of Americans’ metadata has been stolen in the sweeping cyber-espionage campaign carried out by a Chinese hacking group dubbed “Salt Typhoon”, a senior US official told journalists on Wednesday.

The official declined to provide specific figures but noted that China’s access to America’s telecommunications infrastructure was broad and that the hacking was ongoing.

Continue reading...

GM to write down value of China business by more than $5bn

Posted on by

Automaker is restructuring in China after losing about $350m in the region in the first three quarters of this year

General Motors told shareholders on Wednesday that it would write down the value of its China business by more than $5bn.

The company’s board of directors determined that the non-cash charges were necessary “in light of the finalization of a new business forecast and certain restructuring actions” with the joint venture, according to a company filing.

Continue reading...

Cathay Pacific apologises over inflight Family Guy episode with Tiananmen Square scene

Posted on by

Hong Kong carrier removes episode from entertainment system after social media complaint that it might breach national security laws

Hong Kong’s flagship airline, Cathay Pacific, has apologised over the inclusion of a Family Guy episode in its inflight entertainment system that features a scene depicting Tiananmen Square.

The airline told the South China Morning Post it had apologised to customers after a complaint was raised on social media that the episode might breach Hong Kong’s national security laws.

Continue reading...

China bans exports of key microchip elements to US as trade tensions escalate

Posted on by

Semiconductor restrictions on China announced by Washington a day earlier prompt retaliation involving critical minerals including gallium and germanium

The Chinese government has said it will ban exports to the US of some key components in making semiconductors, escalating trade tensions a day after Washington announced curbs targeting China’s ability to make advanced chips.

Among the materials banned from export were the metals gallium, antimony and germanium, China’s commerce ministry said in a statement that cited “national security” concerns.

Continue reading...

China’s share of global electric car market rises to 76%

Posted on by

Market share increases after strong demand within country offsets risks from western tariffs on Chinese-made EVs

China’s share of the global electric vehicle market reached 76% in October, the country’s automotive trade body said, reflecting strong demand for EVs in the country even as western tariffs risk hobbling exports.

Between January and October, sales of EVs reached 14.1m units, according to the China Passenger Car Association, with 69% of those sales in China. In October, China’s share surpassed three-quarters.

Continue reading...