China hawks risk accelerating the outcomes they are trying to avoid June 18, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a clear hardening of western attitudes towards China. The origins of the virus in Wuhan, coupled with suspicions that the Chinese government suppressed awareness of the initial outbreak, have emboldened sino-sceptics and heightened fears of growing Chinese influence. Yet blanket hostility risks accelerating the emergence of the aggressive and [...]
G7 urges China to reconsider Hong Kong security law June 17, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has issued a statement alongside his counterparts in the G7 urging China not to impose a new national security law on Hong Kong. The statement called on the Chinese to reconsider their decision to implement the law, saying ministers were “gravely” concerned about it. The statement said: “The proposed national security [...]
China-India border dispute: Diplomats exchange blows as Chinese mobile firm scraps Indian launch June 17, 2020 The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers exchanged protests today in an escalation of tensions after clashes at the border yesterday left 20 Indian soldiers dead. A phone call between India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and China’s Wang Ji earlier today heard both sides disagree over which country had crossed the border first. Jaishinkar claimed China tried to [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher but loses ground on second wave fears June 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed higher today, albeit losing some ground as markets remain jittery on fears of a second coronavirus wave in China. London’s blue-chip index climbed to trade 0.72 per cent higher during the afternoon afternoon, before closing up 0.18 per cent. The rally came despite figures released earlier today showing UK inflation falling [...]
Q&A: How can data science help investors map the route out of lockdown? June 17, 2020 We ask Mark Ainsworth, Head of the Data Insights Unit at Schroders, how data science can help investors navigate the next phase of the Covid-19 crisis. The Covid-19 crisis has brought data into our everyday lives like never before. Where once we might have checked our news apps for the football scores, we’re now looking [...]
Oil prices begin slide over coronavirus second wave fears June 17, 2020 Global oil prices slipped back this morning on rising fears over a second wave of coronavirus infections after an outbreak in Beijing. Worldwide benchmark Brent crude fell 1.5 per cent over the morning’s trading, slipping back to $40.34. Meanwhile US standard West Texas Intermediate, which was recently trading close to $40 levels, dropped 1.8 per [...]
Tiktok owner Bytedance sees revenue surge to £4.4bn, according to sources June 17, 2020 Bytedance, the Chinese company behind social media platform Tiktok, has seen a surge in first-quarter revenue to 40bn yuan (£4.4bn), according to two people familiar with the matter. The revenue boost marks a 130 per cent year-on-year increase, according to Reuters, citing two sources with knowledge on the matter who declined to be identified. Bytedance [...]
China-India border dispute: 20 Indian soldiers dead June 16, 2020 Twenty Indian soldiers have lost their lives in a “violent physical confrontation” with the Chinese army over a disputed border in the western Himalayas. For weeks, the two superpowers have faced off in the border area, but yesterday’s clash marked the first major violence between the neighbours since 1967. The world’s two most populous countries [...]
Beijing shuts all schools as second wave fears escalate June 16, 2020 Beijing has shut all schools in a sharp escalation of containment measures, as fears that new coronavirus outbreaks could develop into a second wave accelerate. The Chinese capital has suspended on-campus classes for all primary school, middle school and high school students in a bit to stem the rapid spread of new cases, state news [...]
US firms to be allowed to work with Huawei on 5G standards June 16, 2020 The US is to amend a ruling which prohibited companies from working with Chinese tech giant Huawei on setting standards for upcoming 5G networks. The new ruling, signed by the US Commerce Department and other agencies, is set to be published on the Federal Register as soon as today. “The United States will not cede [...]