China, Switzerland upgrade capital ties (China Daily)
2022-12-24

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Country keeps busy with full diplomatic agenda (China Daily)
2022-12-29

South China Sea: Philippines’ Marcos to take up maritime dispute with Xi during Beijing trip (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Australia encouraged to 'seize common development' with China as trade minister sends signal of thaw (GT)
2022-12-29

China’s reopening presents rest of world with dilemma: put out the welcome mat or tighten border controls? (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Coronavirus: could US restrictions on travellers from China raise tensions further? (SCMP)
2022-12-28

'Full of prejudice, political manipulation,' FM criticizes Western media smears on China's epidemic policy shift (GT)
2022-12-28

Putin-Xi call not expected to alter China’s balancing act with the West (SCMP)
2022-12-27

China, Russia conclude joint naval exercise (Xinhua)
2022-12-27

Japan defence stance sours mood ahead of foreign minister’s China trip (SCMP)
2022-12-26

China congratulates Prachanda on becoming Nepal’s new PM, hopes to deepen bilateral ties (GT)
2022-12-26

2023: China’s year to reinforce Russia ties and repair links with Europe, Asia (SCMP)
2022-12-25

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China’s local authorities misused US$5 billion from special purpose bonds, auditors tell legislature (SCMP)
2022-12-30

Chinese premier stresses timely, full wage payment for migrant workers (Xinhua)
2022-12-30

Chinese couples still reluctant to have 3 children despite policy shift, surveys show (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Qing dynasty expert Gao Xiang named head of China’s leading policy think tank (SCMP)
2022-12-29

China’s daily output of ibuprofen, acetaminophen quadrupled in quick response to market needs (GT)
2022-12-29

‘Absolute loyalty’: China’s Xi Jinping tells Politburo to toe party line ‘under all circumstances’ (SCMP)
2022-12-28

China's top legislature starts standing committee session (Xinhua)
2022-12-28

Travel to China to get easier from January 8 as Covid barriers come down (SCMP)
2022-12-27

Coronavirus and natural disasters not enough to derail China’s anti-poverty efforts, Beijing says (SCMP)
2022-12-26

China’s Xi Jinping repeats call for food security as US rivalry and external uncertainties grow (SCMP)
2022-12-25

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Beijing enhancing its hospital capacity (China Daily)
2022-12-29

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region sees growth in foreign trade in Jan-Nov (Xinhua)
2022-12-26

Beijing-Guangzhou railway handles 1.69 bln passenger trips in a decade (Xinhua)
2022-12-26

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Shanghai’s economy will expand 6 per cent in 2023 amid wave of foreign investment in post-Covid era, economist predicts (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Shanghai’s Maternity Hospitals Struggle to Isolate Covid Patients (Caixin)
2022-12-28
Pregnant women and new mothers in Shanghai hospitals are facing high cross-infection and childbearing risks after China’s sudden dismantling of “zero-Covid” left maternity wards in the city struggling to maintain normal operations with staff and medicine shortages. Some obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in the city are attempting to separate Covid-positive patients from those who test negative upon admission. But the risk of infection remains high, with patients waiting in the same “buffer” area for their PCR test results before being sorted to general or isolation zones. Yang Han, a 37-week pregnant woman, said that the buffer and isolation zones at her hospital were on the same floor and people could walk freely between the two, sharing the same group of staff. Shen Li, a mother of a newborn, caught Covid while at the Shanghai Red House Ob & Gyn Hospital (Red House Hospital) this month. “No new parents in our circle remained negative if they were admitted and discharged from the hospital after Dec. 10,” Shen said. Staff shortages have been hobbling facilities, and as a result, hospital workers have had to remain on duty after getting infected to keep the hospitals running. This has exacerbated the risk of cross-infection. “I was on the caesarean table and heard the doctors and nurses say they had tested positive for Covid but still had to do surgeries. It’s tough for them, too,” said Lin Xiao, a mother who recently gave birth. The lack of medical staff, including anesthesiologists and caregivers, has meant some pregnant women have undergone labor without pain relief while others have had to take care of their newborns while being infected with Covid, according to Shen. “It’s a huge physical and psychological challenge for mothers who remain frail after giving birth,” Shen said. For the mothers who exhibit Covid symptoms such as fever, obtaining proper medication has also been difficult as stocks at many hospitals are already running low. At the Red House Hospital, for example, only hospitalized patients with a temperature higher than 38.5 degrees Celsius are given fever medicine. Some obstetricians shared on social media that a fever above 39 degrees that lasts for multiple days could have an impact on the health of the fetus, while a U.S. National Institute of Health-funded study showed that pregnant women with Covid are more likely to get seriously ill, which can lead to pregnancy problems such as preterm birth. “I hope medical care order will be restored as soon as possible, so that groups such as pregnant women and infants can feel safe again,” a pregnant woman told Caixin. The current wave of Covid in Shanghai is expected to peak at the end of December, Chinese epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong said last week.

Top Shanghai pandemic expert slammed as ‘irresponsible’ for saying Covid is on its way out of China (SCMP)
2022-12-22

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Guangdong execs, biz owners seek offshore opportunities (China Daily)
2022-12-30

Shenzhen metro vitalizes less developed area of city (China Daily)
2022-12-29

China’s hi-tech manufacturing hub Dongguan lifts property-buying restrictions to stimulate demand (SCMP)
2022-12-27

Guangzhou’s influential mayor Li Ziliu leaves transformative legacy (SCMP)
2022-12-26

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China’s megacity Chongqing joins Dongguan, Foshan in easing homebuying restrictions to revive ‘pillar of the economy’ (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Railway linking Chengdu and Kunming fully operational in SW China (Xinhua)
2022-12-26

Construction of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle in full swing (Xinhua)
2022-12-20

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Tibet sets economic goals for 2023 (China Daily)
2022-12-28

Chinese team in Nepal to study Himalayan railway project linking Tibet to Kathmandu (SCMP)
2022-12-28

Tibet's major PV power generation project goes into operation (Xinhua)
2022-12-28

China's Tibet beefs up free HPV vaccination for teenage girls (Xinhua)
2022-12-26

Beijing sanctions 2 in US-China tit-for-tat over human rights in Tibet (SCMP)
2022-12-23

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Xinjiang's cotton output grows in 2022 (Xinhua)
2022-12-27

Xinjiang's border port sees foreign trade exceed 270 bln yuan in Jan-Nov (Xinhua)
2022-12-23

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Hong Kong records worst monthly export performance since 1954 with plunge of 24.1 per cent in November (SMCP)
2022-12-29

Case made for Beijing to bar foreign lawyers from Hong Kong security law trials following loss at city’s top court (HKFP)
2022-12-28

Border between mainland, HK to reopen before January 15: Chief Executive (GT)
2022-12-28

Hong Kong lawmaker who wrote John Lee’s election platform to helm new policy unit (SCMP)
2022-12-27

Hong Kong on ‘right track’ under leader John Lee, Chinese president says, while premier calls for greater efforts to prepare for border reopening (SCMP)
2022-12-23

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Some Hongkongers head to Macau for holidays after eased curbs, as rising Covid cases in casino hub lead to shop closures, empty shelves (SCMP)
2022-12-24

Xi meets with Macao SAR chief executive (Xinhua)
2022-12-23

Premier Li meets with Macao SAR chief executive (Xinhua)
2022-12-23

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Latest Taiwan arms sale reflects US indifference to mainland China’s reaction (SCMP)
2022-12-30

Veteran Chinese diplomat Song Tao to head Taiwan Affairs Office (SCMP)
2022-12-28

Coronavirus: Taiwan to PCR test all mainland China arrivals at airports, outlying ferry piers from New Year’s Day (SCMP)
2022-12-28

Taiwan downgrades economic outlook to ‘dim’ as Covid-19 outbreaks in mainland China, global inflation weaken demand (SCMP)
2022-12-28

U.S. must stop moving further down wrong path of manipulating Taiwan question (Xinhua)
2022-12-27

Taiwan extends mandatory military service to prepare soldiers for cross-strait conflict (SCMP)
2022-12-27

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Opening-up in services to boost global cooperation (China Daily)
2022-12-30

China to drop Covid-19 screening on imported cold-chain food after 3 years of contamination fears (SCMP)
2022-12-29

Trade between China, other RCEP members up 7.9 pct in first 11 months (Xinhua)
2022-12-29

China's top economic planner stresses sound development in 2023 (Xinhua)
2022-12-29

China’s travel sector shows signs of recovery as Covid-19 rules ease, but turbulence far from over (SCMP)
2022-12-29

New Coal-Fired Electricity Plant Approvals Triple From 2021(Caixin)
2022-12-29
China approved more than three times as much new coal-fired power generating capacity in the first 11 months this year as during all of 2021, according to Peking University. Between January and November, more than 65 million kilowatts of coal-fired electric generating capacity won government clearance, compared with 21.36 million kilowatts in 2021, data from a power industry transition study by the Institute of Energy of Peking University showed Tuesday. Chinese authorities took bolder moves to expand coal-fired power capacity after nationwide power crunches over the past two years forced many localities to ration electricity, the report said. But the pursuit of energy security needs to be balanced with clean energy development and local energy transition strategies to avoid undermining China’s goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, said Wu Di, an energy analyst at the Institute of Energy. China already has the world's largest coal-fired power generating capacity. As of the end of November, the country’s installed capacity of coal-fired power plants reached 1.12 billion kilowatts, up 1.1% year-on-year and accounting for 44.6% of the country’s electricity capacity. The power industry accounts for more than 40% of China’s emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the main causes of global warming. According to the study, most of the newly approved capacity will be located in Guangdong, Anhui, Xinjiang and Zhejiang provinces. No new projects were cleared for Shandong and Shanxi, two of China’s biggest coal-fired power production provinces. Central China’s Hunan, which obtained approval to add the largest amount of new coal-fired power capacity in 2021, also planned to build more, the report said. “Hunan showed the strongest momentum to add coal-fired power projects in China” due to its tight supply of energy, Wu said. Hunan has around 23 million kilowatts of coal-fired electric capacity, midsized among Chinese provinces, but it experienced the biggest peak-to-valley difference in power demand, adding to pressure on its power system, Wu said. Zhang Wujun, a senior researcher at the Hunan Energy Planning Research Center, said the province relies on imported electricity for 80% of its power consumption, higher than most Chinese provinces. Between 2021 and 2025, Hunan planned to add between 6 million and 8 million kilowatts of additional coal-fired capacity, according to Zhang. Wu said he expects Hunan to increase its coal-fired power capacity to 30 million kilowatts by 2025 and to lead China’s local power construction expansion by 2030 before slowing the pace. Fujian in southern China is another province planning more coal-fired plants. The coastal province currently counts on coal-fired generators for 42% of its 30 million kilowatts of electric capacity. It planned to add more than 8 million kilowatts of new coal-fired capacity by 2025, according to a local energy development plan issued in June. Wu warned that some of Fujian’s planned coal-fired projects may be shelved due to weak domestic demand and the province’s abundant resources for clean energy production. For China’s biggest coal-fired power production provinces like Shandong and Shanxi, it is crucial that they keep their policy direction to continue optimizing their energy structure, the report said. Shandong, with 106 million kilowatts of coal-fired power generation capacity, pledged to lower the capacity below 100 million kilowatts by 2025. “It is crucial to work out energy transition plans that fit local conditions so that (the policy) will have more effects with less costs,” said Yang Lei, deputy director of the Institute of Energy.

China’s wary private sector takes wait-and-see attitude after Beijing pledges ‘unwavering support’ (SCMP)
2022-12-28

China Sets New Risk Rating System for Foreign Bank Operations (Caixin)
2022-12-28
China’s top bank regulator Tuesday unveiled rules to upgrade its risk rating system for foreign banks’ operations in the country, outlining criteria for risk management and access to the capital of their parent companies. The new guidelines, which take effect immediately, spell out detailed factors and procedures adopted in the rating system, as well as regulatory responses to rating results, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission. The system is designed to better allocate supervisory resources and promote healthy development of foreign bank operations in China, the regulator said in a statement. By the end of 2021, foreign banks such as HSBC and Citigroup have set up 929 entities across China, including 41 incorporated units, 117 branches and 135 representative offices, according to the China Banking Association. Foreign banks held 3.79 trillion yuan ($541 billion) in China, accounting for 1.31% of total bank assets in the country. In 2013, China established a pilot rating system to monitor foreign banks’ operations. The new rules provide a more definitive explanation of the implementation and requirements of the grading system, the regulator said. The guidelines rate key risk factors for the lenders and a separate rating on their access to supports from parent companies. The system will assess such risk factors as an operation’s business situation, risk exposure and corporate governance. The institutions will be categorized into five levels — the higher the riskier — and subject to different levels of supervisory requirements. According to the guidelines, institutions rated as level four may face regulatory requirements such as limiting capital outflow, operating capital supplement and suspension of new business. Those rated at the highest level – level 5 – may be required to exit the market. Compared with the 2013 pilot, the new guidelines increase the weight of business compliance in ratings, while reducing the weighting of asset quality. The grading system will also consider a foreign banking institution’s ability to obtain financial and management support from its headquarters, while evaluating the headquarters’ financial conditions and capacity for managing risk. The rating system applies to all foreign bank operations doing business in China for more than one year. The assessment will be conducted annually, said the regulator said.

China’s debt distress among local governments seen rising in 2023, with hard-to-reach economic targets (SCMP)
2022-12-27

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Will North Korea follow China and suddenly end zero-Covid approach? Unlikely, analysts say (SCMP)
2022-12-30

South Korea’s Yoon warns it must ‘punish’ North Korea despite nuclear threat (SCMP)
2022-12-28

North Korea hacked almost 900 South Korean foreign policy experts, sought ransom (SCMP)
2022-12-25

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President Issues Decree on Restoring Mongolia’s Ancient Capital (Montsame)
2022-12-30

Mongolia registers record high number of livestock (Xinhua)
2022-12-28

Draft Law on Casino Submitted to State Great Khural (Montsame)
2022-12-26

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Embassy of Switzerland