Show of strength? China sends dozens of aircraft into Taiwanese airspace December 26, 2022 Seventy-one Chinese air force aircraft including fighter jets and drones entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in the past 24 hours, the island’s government said on Monday, the largest reported incursion to date. Of the aircraft, 43 also crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line, an unofficial buffer between the two sides that lies within the [...]
US-China tension: Taiwan spending angers Beijing power brokers December 24, 2022 Beijing has condemned an annual US defence spending bill for hyping up the “China threat”, but Taiwan welcomed the legislation, saying it demonstrated US support for the self-governing island that China says must come under its rule. “China deplores and firmly opposes this US move,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted online on [...]
China: Quiet trading floors and hampered supply chains as Covid-19 spreads December 19, 2022 Covid-19 is sweeping though China’s capital city according to reports, after strict measures were suddenly removed earlier this month. The virus has quietened trading floors in Beijing and is also spreading fast in the financial hub of Shanghai, according to a Reuters report. Stock trading volume has fallen in the last week, with most currency [...]
Rising tensions: Foxconn to be fined by Taiwan over investment in China December 18, 2022 Apple supplier Foxconn is expected to be fined by the Taiwanese government for an unauthorised investment in China, as tensions between the two states continue to build. Foxconn, the world’s largest maker of contract electronics, had bought a stake in Chinese chip giant Tsinghua Unigroup in July, which went against new rules imposed in Taiwan. [...]
JP Morgan raises China growth forecasts as country braces for Covid-19 spike December 15, 2022 JP Morgan has hiked its growth forecasts for China, after the sudden removal of its ‘zero-Covid’ laws paves the way for a brighter economy. The US bank now expects China’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 30 basis points to 4.3 per cent next year. “The most important development in the past month is [...]
Arm shies away from China over US and UK export controls on advanced chips December 14, 2022 British chip firm Arm has been taken off the roster for China’s semiconductor supply chain after the UK and US adopting stringent export controls on advanced chips to the country. It has reportedly left Chinese consumer technology giant Alibaba unable to get its hands on some of the most advanced chips in the sector, according [...]
China crafts £116bn chips support package as it tackles US curbs with WTO December 13, 2022 China is reportedly crafting a $143bn (£116.5bn) package to support its semiconductor industry, as it tackles new US trading curbs with the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The package would be a major pillar in sustaining its chips sector, which is currently fielding attempts from the US to slow its technological advances. Beijing plans to roll [...]
China hints at easing ‘zero-Covid’ approach following widespread protests December 1, 2022 China’s stance to Covid-19 is at a crossroad, following mass protests against its zero-tolerance approach to cases of the virus. One of the country’s most senior pandemic response officials said last night that China is entering a “new stage and mission”. According to state media, Sun Chunlan, China’s vice premier, said: “With the decreasing pathogenicity [...]
Warning on UK’s frosty China stance: Beijing could retaliate with supply chain disruption December 1, 2022 There are fresh warnings today about China’s ability to intentionally disrupt international supply chains, with claims the UK could be particularly vulnerable. The Evenstar Institute, a London foreign policy think tank, said in a new report today that “Beijing has repeatedly targeted direct trade for strategic purposes in recent years” and that “the UK is [...]
Inspiration Healthcare warns investors of hit to sales over China lockdowns November 28, 2022 Inspiration Healthcare has warned shareholders that sales will not exceed last year’s levels because of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in China. The company’s China-based distributor has been significantly disrupted by the tough pandemic measures, which has curbed its “access to major customers”, the company said in a statement today. “As a result of this continued uncertainty, [...]