EU-China; Hong Kong guilty verdict; China in the Pacific, "Mar-a-Hari"
Happy Tuesday!
The EU and China did agree to a joint statement at the EU-China Summit. There was reporting earlier that there might not be a statement as the Chinese were not offering enough about changing economic policies. It looks from the statement that Chinese relented, at least rhetorically.
It is 6 days until the 30th anniversary of the death of Hu Yaobang, the spark that set off the outpouring of grief and remembrances that led to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests. I was a student at Peking University then, on a semester abroad my junior year, and clueless.
Xi started off this especially sensitive year with that extraordinary meeting on risks, and we are now entering the most politically fraught period of 2019, one that will last through the 100th anniversary of the May 4 Movement, the 30th anniversary of June 4, and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC on October 1.
Expect everything to be on even more of a lockdown than it usually is, and that includes in the economy and the markets. The spark of the 1989 protests may have been Hu’s death but there were huge economic problems and political grievances that helped coalesce the outpouring of grief into something much broader and deeper. There are different problems, and expectations, now, but the Party understands better than anyone the levers and hammers needed to keep things in check and expect it to do whatever is necessary to keep the economy, the financial markets and society “stable”, and probably boring, over the next few months.
Thanks for reading.
The Essential Eight
1. China and the EU
Full text of China-EU summit joint statement - Xinhua
4. China and the EU commit to build their economic relationship on openness, non-discrimination, and fair competition, ensuring a level playing field, transparency, and based on mutual benefits. The two sides commit to achieve in the course of 2019 the decisive progress required, notably with regard to the liberalisation commitments, for the conclusion of an ambitious China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement in 2020. The high level of ambition will be reflected in substantially improved market access, the elimination of discriminatory requirements and practices affecting foreign investors, the establishment of a balanced investment protection framework and the inclusion of provisions on investment and sustainable development. Both sides agree to establish a political mechanism to continuously monitor the progress in the negotiations and to report to leaders by the end of the year on the progress made.
5. China and the EU commit to ensure equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation in bilateral trade and investment. They reiterate their willingness to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, trade and investment and to provide each other with broader and more facilitated, non-discriminatory market access. With this in mind, China and the EU will intensify work towards finding mutually agreeable solutions to a number of key barriers as identified by both parties, with a stocktaking taking place at the next China-EU Summit. Against this background, the two sides will meet as soon as possible and work expeditiously towards concrete progress through existing channels. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of adhering to international scientific standards.
EU trade chief confronts China on investment promises | Financial Times $$
In an interview with the Financial Times ahead of a meeting between EU and Chinese leaders on Tuesday, EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the bloc would not follow the US route of using punitive tariffs to try to force China to the negotiating table...
A five-year long effort to negotiate an EU-China investment treaty is “not moving as fast as it should”, Ms Malmstrom said. “It’s been going for a long time now and we’d hoped that China would be a little more open to do this. We have exchanged offers, that is a step forward, but they are very modest.”
The EU’s frustrations have been heightened by Beijing’s resistance to including commitments to open markets in the communiqué that is supposed to be adopted at Tuesday’s EU-China summit in Brussels.
A senior EU diplomat warned that negotiations between European and Chinese officials had made little headway because Beijing was stalling “on a range of important issues” including reciprocal market access and WTO reform.
From Brussels to Balkans, Chinese Premier visits Europe for closer ties - Xinhua
Li is expected to send a message in support of European integration process, as well as the EU's unity and growth, said Wang Yiwei, a professor with the Institute of International Affairs of Renmin University of China.
China, a consistent supporter of the EU, has always been an advocate for unity, a multi-polar world and multilateralism, he said.
China and Croatia to further align development - People's Daily Online
Croatian foreign policy-makers are sticking with the principle of multilateralism to reap benefits emanating from mutual cooperation. The “16+1 Cooperation Mechanism” and bilateral relations between China and Croatia offer more opportunity on the part of Croatian policy-makers, for example in climate change and tourism.
Croatia is one of the first countries in Central and Eastern Europe to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on “Belt and Road” cooperation with China.
Oettinger: China is the ‘biggest winner’ from EU’s Brexit ‘paralysis’ – POLITICO
The Brexit deadlock has paralyzed Europe and bolstered China, European Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger said.
In an interview with Die Welt published Monday, Oettinger said the prolonged discussions over the U.K.'s exit from the EU has "strengthened others," such as China.
China’s EU envoy to Europe: Plot your own path, not Washington’s – POLITICO
Hey, Europe: Don't let Washington ruin our good thing.
That was the message from China's top representative to the European Union, who spoke to POLITICO in the run-up to a Beijing-EU summit Tuesday, taking place against a backdrop of growing tensions on trade and technology.
Amid last-minute preparations for the talks, which aim to salvage a bruised relationship between Brussels and Beijing, Zhang Ming urged the EU to maintain its spirit of economic openness and the level playing field for foreign companies to invest and grow inside the EU.
But he also lamented Europe's toughening stance toward Beijing, pushing back against the term "systemic rival" adopted by European countries to describe China, arguing that such polarizing language was not even used during the Cold War at a time of icy relations.
China should be happy the US and EU have their own disputes - EU-U.S. Trade War Escalates Over Disputed Aviation Subsidies - Bloomberg
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that EU support for Airbus had caused “adverse effects” when announcing the new measures, which would target European goods including jetliners, cheese, wine and motorcycles. The EU called the $11 billion sum cited by the USTR “greatly exaggerated” and said preparations were underway to hit back.
New Report Urges U.S. to Expand Trade Work with More Countries | Asia Society
In the paper, titled Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Approaches to Addressing Concerns with China’s State-led Economic Model, author Wendy Cutler, Vice President of ASPI and former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative urges the administration to step up its work with partners and allies. As the U.S. and China appear close to reaching a negotiated settlement, Cutler says, “Now is an opportune time for the Trump Administration to expand the scope of this work and reach out to other countries as part of a broader effort.”
Deeper reading:
How Should Europe Handle Relations with China? | ChinaFile Conversation
Pragmatic Cooperation: China and Europe's Best Choice | ISPI - Wang Wen
2. US help in negotiating BRI terms
U.S. Goes on the Offensive Against China’s Empire-Building Megaplan - WSJ $$
Last year, Myanmar renegotiated terms for a multibillion-dollar Chinese-funded deep-water port and industrial zone, shrinking the scope of the project and slashing the country’s future debt burden to its economic powerhouse neighbor...
Myanmar also had outside help: A team of U.S. economists, diplomats and lawyers had been dispatched to the country on a pilot program to scrutinize contracts, flag bad deals, and empower the country to push for better terms with Chinese agencies and companies, according to current and former U.S. government officials.
It may become a regular strategy by the U.S. to counter China’s growing influence, especially in Asia and the Pacific where Beijing has been working to expand its diplomatic, economic and military clout. The State Department hopes to use such teams elsewhere against what Washington charges is Beijing’s practice of using debt and investment to exert influence.
Comment: This is smart. The US gets insight into the terms and possibly China’s country strategies.
India has rejected China's invitation to attend the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) meeting, which is scheduled to take place later this month. This is the second time, India has turned down official invite from China to attend its BRI forum. The first time, India boycotted the meeting was in the year 2017.
Grading China's Belt and Road | Center for a New American Security
Building on previous research by the Center for a New American Security and other institutions,2 this report provides a high-level overview of the primary challenges associated with China’s Belt and Road. It explores these challenges in the context of 10 cases that have received little high-profile attention and identifies future concerns generated by the Belt and Road’s growing digital focus. Lastly, the report puts forward a checklist for evaluating future infrastructure projects involving China.
3. Guilty verdict for Hong Kong protest leaders
9 leaders of Hong Kong pro-democracy protests found guilty - AP
Those convicted included law professor Benny Tai, retired sociology professor Chan Kin-man and pastor Chu Yiu-ming. Two current lawmakers, one former lawmaker, two student leaders and a political activist were also found guilty.
The nine were leaders of the nonviolent “Occupy Central” campaign to demand the right of the city’s population to choose its own leader rather than merely approve a candidate picked by Beijing...
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years. The defendants had all pleaded not guilty, calling the prosecutions politically motivated. They were due back in court for sentencing Tuesday afternoon.
Defence lawyers started making their arguments on sentencing on Tuesday afternoon, but the process will continue into Wednesday. In the meantime, District Court Judge Johnny Chan extended the bail period so that the activists did not need to be kept behind bars overnight.
Barrister Gerard McCoy – representing the “Occupy trio” of Benny Tai, Chan Kin-man and Chu Yiu-ming – made an impassioned plea in court, saying that the three men’s motives “can only be described as altruistic and selfless.”
4. Ramping up Xi Thought teaching for youth
Chinese students learn socialist theory via app and website - Global Times
The Ministry of Education (MOE) and Chinese Young Pioneers National Working Committee co-launched the campaign in January to allow students to better understand socialism in the new era through reading Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and classics President Xi has quoted in his speeches.
The campaign will last through this year...
On the platform, articles for lower grades feature illustrations and explain the Chinese Dream, China's ethnic groups and the Silk Road. Classical texts are mainly about ancient virtues and wisdom, such as the importance of persistence and that knowledge is only understood profoundly through practice. Teachers and education bureaus can log onto the two platforms to track students' reading activities.
This year is an experiment, and "we hope the reading activities will be normalized in the future," Gong Jieke, an official from the MOE, told the Global Times.
The site - 人民日报少年网:
5. Huawei
US reportedly no longer demands Huawei ban from Germany - CNET
Senior US officials are "highly satisfied" with Germany's regulations setting strict 5G security standards, regardless of the provider, newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported Sunday, citing anonymous German government sources.
The country's standards for 5G security are apparently so high that unreliable companies have no hope of meeting them, which the US says is the "perfect" approach. As a result, it's no longer demanding that Germany explicitly ban Huawei, according to the paper.
Question: If the US had a convincing smoking gun wouldn’t it have shared it with Germany and other European allies?
U.S. Tries to Freeze Huawei Out of Europe With Court Argument - Bloomberg
The U.S. is urging allies to ban networking products from countries without independent court systems, an approach intended to block China’s Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. from competing for new 5G telecommunications networks in Europe and Asia...
“The most fundamental security standard, really, is that you cannot have this extrajudicial, non-rule of law-compliant process where a government can tell its companies to do something,” Strayer said Monday.
6. China in the Pacific
Comment: China’s actions are perfectly logical, will they stop at Hawaii?
The Big Read - Pacific islands: a new arena of rivalry between China and the US | Financial Times $$
The region’s vast maritime expanses have long been controlled by the US Navy, whose base in Guam is central to its ability to project power in the western Pacific. China, however, is now making its presence felt. Beijing is attracting countries with promises to boost their development, but which might also enrich local politicians and raise fears of new colonial-style domination. In western capitals, China’s Pacific push has raised concerns that Beijing has military designs on the region.
Although China is challenging western power in other parts of the world, the calculations are different in the western Pacific, which contains economically weak countries with tiny islands and small populations that boast large maritime territories. If relatively small investments allow Beijing to gain influence over a number of governments in the region, China could then access or even control vast waters of vital strategic importance to the US.
GPS data reveal secretive Chinese research vessels crossing Pacific | Financial Times
The FT's Kathrin Hille examines the Chinese oceanographic research vessels appearing between the Philippines and Hawaii based on data from Marinetraffic.com and explains how Beijing is expanding its maritime influence in the Pacific
7. China innovation
Is China Catching Up to the United States in Innovation? | ITIF
A thorough examination and answer to the question of current and future Chinese innovation capabilities is beyond the scope of this report. However, by examining 36 indicators of China’s scientific and technological progress vis-à-vis the United States a decade ago versus today, it is possible to get a sense of where China is making the most progress, and to what extent it is closing the innovation gap with the United States. This analysis finds that China has made progress on all indicators, and in some areas it now leads the United States. In fact, in an average of all the indicators, China has cut the gap to the United States by a factor of 1.5 from the base year to the most recent year. (For example, had China been 80 percent behind the United States a decade or so ago, it would be just 50 percent behind in the most recent year.) In other words, in the span of about a decade, China has made dramatic progress in innovation relative to the United States.
This report briefly highlights Chinese government goals and policies to become a world innovation leader. It then reviews the claims skeptics make about China’s ability to innovate—arguing that, for the most part, their definition of the term “innovation” is too narrow—and reviews arguments and evidence supporting the claim that China is successfully innovating. Finally, the report presents the 36 indicators.
8. Mar-a-Lago trespasser’s interesting equipment
Feds: Woman arrested at Mar-a-Lago had hidden-camera detector | Miami Herald
A federal prosecutor argued in court Monday that Yujing Zhang, the Chinese woman arrested trying to enter President Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach last month, “lies to everyone she encounters” and said a search of her hotel room uncovered more than $8,000 in cash, as well as a “signal-detector” device used to reveal hidden cameras.
Also uncovered in the search: $7,500 in U.S. hundred-dollar bills and $663 in Chinese currency, in addition to nine USB drives, five SIM cards and other electronics...
Secret Service agent Samuel Ivanovich, who interviewed Zhang on the day of her arrest, testified at the hearing. He stated that when another agent put Zhang’s thumb-drive into his computer, it immediately began to install files, a “very out-of-the-ordinary” event that he had never seen happen before during this kind of analysis.
Comment: All that gear looks bad, but I have heard of women traveling with camera detectors because of so many hidden cameras in hotel rooms. Is it an off the shelf brand or an MSS special? And of course, if PRC security services tossed a hotel room of a foreigner in China and found this you can bet they would be seen as a spy. The odds she is simply a “bumbling grifter” look lower.
The New York Post has Zhang on its cover as “Mar-a-Hari. Sign of the times:
Business, Economy and Trade
HSBC predicts China 2019 GDP will soar past others' estimates - CNBC The British bank said that it sees GDP growth hitting 6.7 percent by the fourth quarter, which it predicted will push the figure for the full year to 6.6 percent. "The shape of the stimulus package this time is very different from earlier rounds," Hong Kong-based HSBC economists Qu Hongbin and Julia Wang said in the report. "We believe that it will not only work, but will also trigger a self-sustained recovery in the coming quarters."
Deadly Explosion’s Impact Continues to Be Felt on Capital Market - Caixin Analysts speaking with Caixin believe closings like this may be more frequent going forward, as inspection procedures become stricter and officials are more cautious about approving new projects, due to safety concerns. If this proves to be the case, the prices of certain chemical products could surge, potentially affecting overall market supply, the analysts tell Caixin. The scenario could be similar to that of the cement industry, in which a crackdown on pollution caused the sector’s profits to surge.
New Tax Option Drives Up Existing Home Sales in Southern City - Caixin The number of existing homes sold in one southern Chinese city more than tripled in March from the previous month after the local government effectively lowered the tax on home sales. The change in Dongguan’s tax policy is the latest move by local governments to remove obstacles in their local property markets.
Residency shift part of plan to boost urban base - China Daily Under the plan, cities with a population under 3 million should remove all limits on hukou— household registration — and cities with populations between 3 million and 5 million should relax restrictions on new migrants. Having hukouin a city generally confers more social benefits on residents. Megacities including Beijing and Shanghai should improve the points system to qualify for household registration, allowing more people to settle in those cities. In the future, the main driving force of China's urbanization will be conferring the benefits of urban citizenship on rural migrant workers," said Xu Lin, former director of the NDRC's development planning department.
China Bond Bulls Seek PBOC Support After Worst Week Since 2013 - Bloomberg The yield on 10-year bonds rose 19 basis points last week, the biggest increase since November 2013, in a shock to investors. Buying government debt has been a surefire way to make money in the past 14 months, with the yield falling from around 4 percent to 3.07 percent at the end of March -- the lowest since December 2016.
China Car Slump Persists With Sales Plunging for 10th Month - Bloomberg Retail sales of sedans, sport utility vehicles, minivans and multipurpose vehicles continued their plunge in March, dropping 12 percent to 1.78 million units, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday. That follows an 18.5 percent drop in February and 4 percent decline in January.
Starbucks outlet suspends business after suspected pest contamination - SHINE News after an online video showed cockroaches crawling on pastries at the outlet.
Yicai Global - China, Home to World's Top Crypto Rig Makers, Plans Digital Currency Mining Ban The National Development and Reform Commission is seeking public opinion on a revised list of sectors to promote, constrain or ban, it said yesterday. The list now contains more than 450 activities, including crypto mining, that the NDRC wants to see phased out for failing to comply with laws and regulations or being unsafe, wasteful or environmentally unfriendly.
Burger King slammed for ‘racist’ advertisement - Global Times US fast food giant Burger King has removed an advertisement and apologized after it was accused by many netizens of racism for mocking people who eat with chopsticks. "The ad is insensitive and does not reflect our brand values regarding diversity and inclusion. We have asked our franchisee in New Zealand to remove it immediately," read a statement Burger King sent
Telescopes row brings US-China trade war into sharp focus with Chinese firms accused of ‘cartel-like behaviour’ | South China Morning Post Orion claims that documents, provided to the South China Morning Post, show that executives at Sunny Optics, a subsidiary of Ningbo Sunny Electronics, and the Chinese subsidiary of Synta Technology Corporation, a Taiwanese company, corresponded in the lead up to Sunny’s purchase of Meade Instruments.
The impending Chinese asset boom | FT Alphaville So in China, we are now witnessing the early stages of development for what may become the largest financial system on earth. This would follow the largest construction boom, and the largest urban migration. The bigger question is the impact on the prices of assets globally. If Chinese savings flow through asset management services, they can be used to buy public assets around the world.
Burger King pulls New Zealand chopsticks ad after outcry in China - Reuters Burger King pulled a promotional video in New Zealand showing customers trying to eat burgers with chopsticks after it sparked an outcry in China and demands for an apology from the U.S. fast food chain.
China thermal coal imports to fall 10 million-12 million tonnes in 2019: Noble's Echeverri - Reuters China’s coal output will increase from the second quarter of 2019, reducing its reliance on overseas supplies, Rodrigo Echeverri, head of hard commodities at trader Noble Group, told an industry conference in Shanghai.
China Issues New Banking License for Nationwide Acquisition of Rural Lenders - China Banking News The license gives the financial institution the right to acquire and take over other rural banks situated throughout all of China, providing Xingfu Village Rural Bank with unprecedented scope to expand its operations around the country. There are currently over 1500 rural banks in operation throughout China.
Tencent-backed plastic surgery app So-Young files for $150 million US IPO · TechNode The company’s revenue surged 138% year-on-year to more than RMB 617 million (around $90 million) with a net income of RMB 55 million in 2018.
Politics and Law
Division of tasks laid out for implementing govt work report - Gov.cn The State Council released a document on April 9 detailing the division of main work tasks among ministries and departments for implementing the 2019 Government Work Report.
China moves against ‘soft violence’ - Global Times Stalking, throwing feces on others or restricting the personal freedom of others have been categorized as "soft violence," a new category of criminal behavior according to an announcement from China's law enforcement authorities on Tuesday, as the nation's campaign against organized crimes enters its critical phase.
Latest crackdown on Chinese social media sees dozens of high-profile Weibo accounts silenced | South China Morning Post One of China’s leading social media platforms announced on Monday that it had silenced a number of leading opinion formers, including Yu Jianrong, a popular outspoken liberal intellectual with more than seven million followers…“I feel odd. I don’t know which of my comments violated the country and Sina’s regulations,” Yu told the Post. He said he had not posted any political content on his account for two years.
Foreign and Defense Affairs
U.S. sails massive, F-35-laden warship in disputed South China Sea | The Japan Times Contacted by The Japan Times, a U.S. military spokeswoman would not confirm or deny the Wasp’s presence near the collection of outcroppings that barely jut out above water at high tide, citing “force protection and security.” However, the spokeswoman did confirm that the Wasp “has been training with Philippine Navy ships in Subic Bay and in international waters of the South China Sea … for several days.”
Aircraft carrier spotted off Scarborough Shoal | ABS-CBN News Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal have gotten used to the presence of foreign vessels in the disputed waters, but they were surprised by a new sight: an aircraft carrier, with Video
Deployment of USS Wasp, F-35Bs shows US commitment to Philippines, commander says - Stripes The first deployment of the USS Wasp and F-35B Lightning II fighters to the Philippines for this month’s Balikatan exercise shows the value that the U.S. places on military ties to the island nation, according to the commander of a Navy amphibious squadron participating in the drills.
Navy launches program to develop teen aviators - China Military Graduates from junior high schools in the economically thriving province of Guangdong normally have two options for their future: They can either continue their studies at a senior high school or go into vocational training. But there's another choice. They can try their luck with the People's Liberation Army Navy to see if they have what it takes to become a naval aviator and land on aircraft carriers.
China’s satellite TV project for 10,000 African villages benefits Africa - People's Daily Online StarTimes, a private Chinese firm which offers home pay-TV services, was contracted to deliver the project across Africa.
Xi's expositions on building human community with shared future published in English - Xinhua The English book is helpful for foreign readers to have a deep understanding of Xi's theoretical thinking on major issues concerning the future of humanity, such as "what kind of world to build and how."
Cameras Linked to Chinese Government Stir Alarm in U.K. Parliament - The Intercept IT IS A Chinese state-owned company that is implicated in disturbing human rights violations. But that has not stopped Hikvision from gaining a major foothold in the United Kingdom. Through a network of corporate partners, the Hangzhou-based security firm has supplied its surveillance cameras for use on the British parliamentary estate, as well as to police, hospitals, schools, and universities throughout the country
President Xi Jinping congratulates inauguration of China-Africa Institute - CGTN Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulation letter to the China-Africa Institute, which inaugurated in Beijing the same day. The current world is undergoing dramatic changes, Xi said in the letter.
Scott Morrison slaps down Malcolm Turnbull over foreign influence - Sydney Morning Herald Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been hit by a damaging public split with Malcolm Turnbull after the former prime minister demanded his successor take action against Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton following allegations about Chinese influence.
Jacinda Ardern denies intelligence pointed to China in Anne-Marie Brady burglaries | Newshub Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has rubbished claims made by an Australian current affairs TV show that intelligence pointed to China over the burglary of Canterbury University Professor Anne-Marie Brady. Australia's Four Corners programme said conclusions had been made behind closed doors in Canberra that China's spy agency was behind the February 2018 burglaries of Brady.
China opens new Sino-North Korea border crossing in Jilin province | NK News - North Korea News Authorities reported to have spent $41 million on Sino-Korean Ji'an-Fupu Highway Port
Britain Must Accept That, For China, Security and Economics Are Intertwined | ISPI - Yu Jie To build a better relationship with China, the British government must better understand how these strands of the relationship are connected and become more skillful at interacting along both lines. China would appear an indispensable partner if a post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ is to succeed. To nurture that partnership, London will have to balance mitigating its security concerns with realism about how much it can change the Chinese government’s outlook and political choices. And it will have to accept that it cannot divorce its security stance from its hopes for a profitable economic relationship.
5G and the Future of AI on the Battlefield translation of 5G Promotes the Acceleration of Intelligentized Operations [5G推动智能化作战提速] by Zhang Qingliang (张清亮) and Zhang Guoning (张国宁) in China National Defense Report, March 12, 2019
Hong Kong and Macao
Chen Daoxiang appointed commander of PLA Garrison in Hong Kong - China Military Chen, former deputy chief of staff of the Southern Theater Command
Tech and Media
Apple Music in China removes Jacky Cheung song with reference to Tiananmen massacre | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP Apple Music has removed a song by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung from its Chinese streaming service, with some questioning if the move was related to politically sensitive lyrics. The song, the title of which translates to “The Path of Man,” was the theme music of the 1990 film A Chinese Ghost Story II. According to the late James Wong, who penned the lyrics, parts of the song were directly referring to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Livestreaming Platform for Games Becomes Latest Mega-Fundraiser - Caixin Game livestreaming platform Huya Inc. said it could raise more than $500 million through a secondary share offering
Panda TV’s demise makes way for gaming giant Tencent to dominate live streaming too | South China Morning Post In addition to backing Douyu and Huya, the Shenzhen-based internet giant made another bet in 2016 with its own streaming platform eGame, which ranked just behind Panda TV in terms of daily active users in December, according to research firm Jiguang.
Tencent has launched the global version of WeGame | PCGamesN Players around the world can download and try out an early build of storefront, which currently has 17 Chinese-developed games available.
Chinese news outlet Caixin aims to raise up to $200 million for tech development, growth: sources - Reuters The Beijing-based firm is looking to raise $100 million to $200 million with a target valuation of about $500 million prior to the funding round, said one of the people. //Anyone have a sense of their revenues?
Society, Arts, Sports, Culture and History
Yicai Global - Beijingers Work Longer Office Hours Than a Decade Ago, NBS Survey Finds Ten hours a day was the average time spent at work for a person aged 15 to 39. It was eight hours and five minutes for those aged between 40 and 64, and five hours and 48 minutes for people over 65. Younger people also have a longer commute, as long as one hour and 52 minutes, according to the findings.
Energy, Environment, Science and Health
Xi stresses wide participation in promoting afforestation - Xinhua Xi said this year marks the 40th anniversary of National Tree Planting Day. In the past 40 years, China's forest area and forest stock volume have doubled, respectively, and China is home to the world's largest man-made forest. The proportion of China's contribution to the world's vegetation increase also ranked first.
Commentary: Time to vigorously advance China's ecological civilization - Xinhua Actions like these by the top leadership are particularly meaningful as the country embarks on a carefully-designed journey of realizing an ecological civilization, a new catchphrase in the country, to make the world's second-largest economy a more livable place.
China’s astronomers helped capture photo of black hole but couldn’t use world’s biggest telescope to do it | South China Morning Post The reason China did not contribute hardware to the black hole imaging project, known as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), is that none of the country’s telescopes was built for the task, the Chinese astronomers involved in the project said.
China Releases Green Industry Guidance Catalogue: A New Industrial Plan? – Paulson Institute
Education
China's rural students continue to enjoy favorable college admission policies - Xinhua The poverty-stricken counties entitled to special enrollment plans will continue to enjoy such policies in 2019, even if they have already shaken off poverty, the circular said.