Day: April 16, 2024

At 12, China-central and eastern Europe group faces growing pains

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Vienna, Austria —  Next week, China will mark the 12th anniversary of a group for central and eastern European countries it established to grow its influence in the EU. But when it does, there will be no high-level activities or celebrations to mark the group’s creation. Since 2019, the frequency of meetings between China and central and eastern European leaders has decreased, and one after another, members have withdrawn. Matej Simalcik, executive director at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, told VOA Mandarin that when the China-Central and Eastern…

3 Vietnamese land rights protesters released early from prison

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More than four years after 3,000 police raided Dong Tam commune in the dead of night, three of the protesters subsequently jailed have been released early from prison for good behavior. On April 9, Le Dinh Uy, Le Dinh Quang and Nguyen Van Quan returned home nine months ahead of their five year prison sentences for resisting police. “When he returned we were very happy,” said Du Thi Thanh, grandmother of Le Dinh Uy. “But the children were very weak like they’d been kept in miserable conditions.” Thanh’s husband Le…

China’s growing data centres and AI industry could strain scarce water resources, according to new report

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China’s thirsty data centres and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically increase demand on the country’s water resources, according to a new report by think tank China Water Risk. The Hong Kong-based non-profit estimated the annual water consumption of data centres in China to be around 1.3 billion cubic metres (343 billion gallons) – enough for residential use for 26 million people. By 2030, the figure could reach over 3 billion cubic metres as more data facilities are expected to open. Data centres consume water directly to…

China reforms its unloved state-owned enterprises to win back investors

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. China’s unfashionable state-owned enterprises are getting a second look from investors as their stocks beat the broader market and Beijing judges executives on share price performance. A sub-index of SOEs with minority listings in Hong Kong has outperformed the city’s benchmark index by 40 per cent since the start of 2021, although it is flat in absolute terms amid an extended stock market rout. Many unloved SOE stocks have single-digit…

China reforms unloved state-owned enterprises to win back investors

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. China’s unfashionable state-owned enterprises are getting a second look from investors as their stocks beat the broader market and Beijing judges executives on share price performance. A sub-index of SOEs with minority listings in Hong Kong has outperformed the city’s benchmark index by 40 per cent since the start of 2021, although it is flat in absolute terms amid an extended stock market rout. Many unloved SOE stocks have single-digit…

Beijing reforms unloved state-owned enterprises to win back investors

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. China’s unfashionable state-owned enterprises are getting a second look from investors, as their stocks beat the broader market and Beijing judges executives on share price performance. A sub-index of SOEs with minority listings in Hong Kong has outperformed the city’s benchmark index by 40 per cent since the start of 2021, although it is flat in absolute terms amid an extended stock market rout. Many unloved SOE stocks have single-digit…

Pacemaker or competitor? Beijing half marathon under probe as Chinese star handed a win

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WASHINGTON —  Chinese long-distance runner He Jie is at the center of a controversy over his win in the Beijing Half Marathon, as organizers started a probe after a trio of African runners appeared to deliberately slow down so He could win the race. A video clip circulating online shows that four athletes — Kenya’s Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu Bikila and He — were approaching the finish line around the same time. Then, the three African athletes slowed down and gestured He to pass and take…

China plays up Alibaba, Shein’s role in promoting cross-border e-commerce at ‘digital silk road’ forum, as exports rise

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China’s tech champions, including online shopping behemoth Alibaba Group Holding and fast-fashion shopping platform Shein, play an important role in facilitating cross-border e-commerce, according to mainland government officials at a major forum promoting Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). At the Digital Silk Road (DSR) Development Forum in Xian, capital of western Shaanxi province, on Tuesday, Alibaba – owner of the South China Morning Post – and Shein were among those named as exemplars of trading platforms that have helped advance the country’s booming cross-border e-commerce sector. Those platforms have,…

South Korea cautiously optimistic about US-Japan military upgrades

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WASHINGTON —  South Korea is cautiously optimistic about alliance upgrades that the U.S. and Japan have planned to bolster security in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the ministry “noted” that the U.S. and Japan, at their summit in Washington last week, spoke of “the defensive nature of the U.S.-Japan alliance” and emphasized “peace and stability” in the region. The spokesperson continued via email to VOA’s Korean Service on Friday that “South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are making efforts to institutionalize expanded…

German chancellor urges Xi Jinping to press Russia to end Ukraine war, saying ‘China’s word carries weight’

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Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, says he has urged Xi Jinping to press Russia to end its “senseless” war in Ukraine and that the Chinese president has agreed to back a peace conference in Switzerland. Scholz said after a meeting with Xi in Beijing on Tuesday that “China’s word carries weight in Russia”. “I have therefore asked President Xi to influence Russia so that Putin finally calls off his senseless campaign, withdraw his troops and ends this terrible war,” he said on social media platform X. Scholz said Xi had agreed…