Day: May 2, 2023

Beijing —  Two more former Chinese football officials have been placed under investigation for corruption, adding to a growing a list of Chinese sports administrators suspected of unspecified illegal activities. The latest were former Chinese Football Association vice president Li Yuyi and ex-chairman of the Chinese Super League Company that runs the country’s top-flight professional league, Ma Chengquan. Two-sentence official statements issued recently said they were suspected of “serious violations of laws and regulations,” and they were cooperating with authorities. The statements said they were being investigated by the ruling…

Washington —  Concerned over its shrinking population, China is proposing new legislation to encourage ethnic Chinese around the world to relocate to China, bringing with them technical and entrepreneurial skills learned abroad. Changes aimed at creating a more welcoming environment for millions of “the Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad” are laid out in an April 24 report to the National People’s Congress. However, critics fear the new policy could also open a back door to increased monitoring and harassment of overseas Chinese. The proposed legislation comes after…

Yokohama, Japan —  Osamu Furukawa has driven lots of Japanese cars for his business converting classic gasoline-powered models to electric. But his favorite ride is an import: A battery-powered SUV from China’s BYD Auto. BYD Auto is part of a wave of Chinese electric car exporters that are starting to compete with Western and Japanese brands in their home markets. They bring fast-developing technology and low prices that Tesla chief financial officer says “are scary.” Furukawa said he ordered an ATTO 3 when it went on sale January 31, for…

HONG KONG —  Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday stepped up a campaign to shut down further democratic challenges by unveiling plans to eliminate most directly elected seats on local district councils, the last major political representative bodies chosen by the public. Chief Executive John Lee said the proposed overhaul will reduce the proportion of directly elected seats in the municipal-level organization to about 20% — from some 90% currently. That is lower than the level when these bodies were first set up in the 1980s, when Hong Kong was ruled…