Current Events

[Randy W]

AD: MINISO, a prominent Chinese retailer, has recently unveiled its global flagship store at the Times Square in New York.
With an extensive network of over 70 stores across the United States, MINISO has set its sights on exceeding 100 stores in the country by the end of 2023.
The U.S. market has proven to be MINISO's most lucrative overseas market, as indicated by two consecutive quarters of revenue contribution, as stated in their financial reports.

from China Xinhua News on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

Man opened Asiana Airlines plane door mid-air as he was ‘uncomfortable’: South Korea police

• The passenger, who faces up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws, also told police he was stressed after losing his job recently
• He opened the door when the plane was about 700 feet above the ground, causing panic on board

from the SCMP

Quote

 

“He felt the flight was taking longer than it should have been and felt suffocated inside the cabin,” a Daegu police detective said.

“He wanted out quickly”.

The passenger faces up to 10 years in prison for violating aviation safety laws.

The man opened the door when the plane was about 700 feet (213m) above the ground, causing panic on board.

Nine passengers were sent to the hospital with breathing issues. All were dismissed from the hospital after about two hours, a fire department official said.

 

 

[Randy W]

Xi Jinping calls for global cooperation on technology at Zhongguancun as Beijing courts top scientists

• The message comes at a time when technology rivalry between China and the US is deepening
• Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who spoke via a live-streaming feed, said that the theme of open cooperation ‘could not be timelier’

from the SCMP

Xi Jinping talks up global tech cooperation at Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
 

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The theme of this year’s forum in Zhongguancun, a major technology hub in Beijing’s Haidian District styled as China’s Silicon Valley, is “open cooperation for a shared future”, and the six-day event has attracted a long list of eminent Chinese and overseas scientists and entrepreneurs.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who spoke via a live-streaming feed, said at the forum on Friday that the theme of open cooperation “could not be timelier”, echoing Xi’s message.

Gates said global issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, along with other challenges from food security to child welfare, do not stay within national boundaries. “So we need to commit to working across boundaries to address them,” Gates said.

Gates also told the forum that China, with its mix of expertise and experience and investment in innovation, would be able to make its contribution to the world by sharing its technology and lessons.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

On 2/7/2023 at 11:32 PM, Randy W said:

Why China’s C919 is years away from flying in the US, Europe but not other regions

• Bilateral aviation-safety agreements exist between Chinese and Western aviation authorities to help certify the airworthiness of passenger jets, but there are more factors at play
• Stigma against ‘made-in-China’ products, along with geopolitics, could keep the C919 constrained to China and countries with closer ties

from the SCMP

China’s C919 passenger jet is expected to be put into service domestically over the coming months. Photo: AFP
 

 

Update: The C919 completed its first commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing on Sunday.
The plane was greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital Int'l Airport at 12:31 p.m.
https://english.news.cn/20230528/69edc8d64183415eb491c3d191a3621f/c.html

from China Xinhua News on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

Chinese tech entrepreneurs keen to 'de-China' as tensions with US soar

from Reuters

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Now, some mainland China tech business owners say they need to go further and gain permanent residency or citizenship abroad to avoid the curbs on and the biases against Chinese companies in the United States.

Shenzhen-based Ryan, who declined to give his family name due to fear of reprisals in China, says his three-year-old software startup has reached the point where it would be natural to expand in the U.S. - the world's biggest economy. His firm already has a million users in East Asia and a strong base in North America.

But he's dismayed by the U.S.-China trade spats and the restrictions on a growing number of Chinese companies that have been imposed, or are being proposed, by U.S. lawmakers.

 . . .

Reuters spoke to seven tech entrepreneurs from mainland China, most of them educated overseas, who would like to expand their businesses in the United States. All are trying to gain permanent residency or citizenship elsewhere, with most exploring a range of options including Hong Kong, Canada, Japan, the United States and Singapore.

Of the seven entrepreneurs, three agreed to be identified by their English first names only while the others requested complete anonymity, all citing concerns about repercussions within China. They also asked that their businesses not be described in detail.

 

 

[Randy W]

Several Shanghai establishments have been fined thousands of yuan for shredding cucumbers as a topping for the popular Chinese cold noodles dish, “Liangpi.” Records show they were penalized for only having a license to serve hot food and not cold food. A related Weibo hashtag has been viewed 250 million times today, with some netizens impressed by food safety enforcement and others asking how Liangpi can be eaten without cucumbers.

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from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

I used to receive warnings when I received SMS 2FA messages from financial connections back home - haven't seen those in a while, though.

Block all overseas calls: police in multiple Chinese cities issue ‘urgent reminder’ as anti-fraud drive scaled up

• Turn off incoming overseas calls to avoid scammers and ‘protect your money’, police in at least three provinces warn on their social media accounts
• Flurry of public appeals is part of drive to combat rampant online fraud by scaling down mobile users’ exposure to platforms seen as difficult to police

from the SCMP

China’s recent efforts to battle online and telecoms scams have included a new law and an anti-fraud app. Photo: Shutterstock

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Police in at least three provinces in China have called on residents to block all incoming overseas calls if they did not have regular contacts outside the mainland, saying this will protect them from telecoms fraud.

Online messages posted over the weekend by police in Xuzhou and Lianyungang in the eastern province of Jiangsu advised residents on ways to turn off the “receive overseas calls” function.

“Urgent reminder! Please turn off incoming calls from overseas!” police in both cities said on their official WeChat accounts.

“The anti-fraud centre of the Public Security Bureau reminds you that if you do not need to receive incoming overseas calls, you can take the initiative to turn off the function to reduce the risk of being scammed and protect your money!” the posts added, referring to the bureau representing the main civilian police force in China.

The same notice was issued earlier last week by police in Sanming, in the southeastern coastal province of Fujian.

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Because . . . what better way to out-America America than to out-boondoggle their boondoggles?

Digitalization is one of the highlights of the 19th #China (#Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair. From space to aviation and nautical simulations to digital virtual motion capture studios... The Digital Culture Pavilion is revolutionizing the film industry process through virtual shooting and VR presentations.
#Digitalization #VR

from iChongqing on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/iChongqing/videos/595286439251756

not embeddable

 

Digitalization is one of the highlights of the 19th #China (#Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair. From space to aviation and nautical simulations to digital virtual motion capture studios... The Digital Culture Pavilion is revolutionizing the film industry process through virtual shooting and VR presentations. #Digitalization #VR

Posted by iChongqing on Thursday, June 8, 2023

Experience Digitalized Chinese Culture in South China's Shenzhen

Edited June 10, 2023 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) celebrated its grand opening on Friday night with a star-studded Red Carpet ceremony and a gala performance at Shanghai Grand Theater.
The festival will go on from June 9 to 18, when the Golden Goblet Awards will be announced in five categories: the main competition for feature-length films, and the competitions for Asian new talents, documentaries, animations and short films.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of SIFF, and on the Red Carpet, Oscar-award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia recalled herself at 30 years old, when she decided to come back to the cinema, and shot Police Story III with Jackie Chan. "I found that I loved film-making more than anything else, and for the past 30 years I never stopped and hope I can keep making on with it."
President of the main competition of the Golden Goblet Awards, Jerzy Skolimowski from Poland spoke about his family ties with China. His father was born in northeastern China 100 years ago, where his grandfather, a renowned architect, used to work as an urban designer.
"We are here to celebrate the film, an art form like no other," he said at the opening. "It brings people together... it shows how much we have in common."

from China Pictorial on Facebook

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[Randy W]

China’s cruise liner breakthrough marks crowning glory, but ambition to climb high-value chain faces challenges

• China’s first home-grown large cruise liner undocked in Shanghai this week in a breakthrough for the nation’s shipbuilding and high-end manufacturing ambitions
• Beijing is also eager to narrow the tech gap with global rivals such as South Korea

from the SCMP

China’s first home-grown large cruise liner undocked in Shanghai this week in a breakthrough for the nation’s shipbuilding and high-end manufacturing ambitions. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

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Chinese boat builders moved closer to putting the last – and the most precious – pearl onto “the crown of shipbuilding” this week, while also accelerating a shift in high-quality development that will take the world’s second-largest economy to new waters.

Luxury cruise ships, together with liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels and aircraft carriers, have long been considered “the three pearls of the crown” as they represent the highest levels in vessels carrying passengers, cargo and military equipment.

And with the undocking of China’s first home-grown large cruise liner on Tuesday in Shanghai as the 135,500-tonne, 323-metre-long (1,060-foot) Adora Magic City moved to the final stage of debugging ahead of two trial trips in July and August after nearly four years of construction, the final piece in the country’s shipbuilding puzzle is almost in place.
Construction of a second luxury cruise ship, which is larger and heavier, is also under way in Shanghai.

 . . .

Few domestic suppliers have the necessary experience to make specific cruise ship parts, nor are they familiar with international industry standards, so some supplies assembled on the ship need to be imported.

 . . .

China has high hopes that the C919 will reduce dependence on foreign technology as ties with Western countries deteriorate.

It is designed to compete with Boeing’s 737 and Airbus’ A320, however, most parts used for the C919 are imported from foreign manufacturers, including the engine, avionics, control systems, communications and landing gear.

A series of systems used in shipbuilding are among “chokepoints” that left China dependent on other countries for key technologies, said a Beijing-based industry observer from a state-owned company, who asked not to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Cargo containment systems for LNG carriers, which ensure a super-low temperature, are a typical example, they said.

“We’re paying a lot of money in patent fees to France in this respect, and we’re quite a way from creating our own, which will also cost a lot,” the industry observer said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Randy W]

In several Chinese cities, a new trend known as "leftover blind boxes" has emerged, offering discounted rates on randomly packed boxes of unsold food and beverages.
This trend has gained popularity among young people who eagerly grab these deals at certain moment to purchase the food at reduced prices.
Sushi, for example, originally priced at over 100 yuan (US$13.99) or Chinese pastries and cooked food priced at over 30 yuan can now be purchased at around 70 percent discounts.
Chengzi (pseudonym), living in Beijing, enjoys buying blind boxes on WeChat's mini program, where three types of bread are available for 17.9 yuan instead of their usual price of 40 yuan, likening the experience to the thrill of buying lottery tickets.
Based on her experience, she added that the blind boxes sold on the mini program are not leftovers, but unsold food from stores before closing time. Businesses randomly combine remaining items for sale to consumers.

from China Pictorial on Facebook 
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[Randy W]

Hot weather is hitting China, and that means people are holding umbrellas to block the sun as they stroll around. However, some men have been sharing their anxieties about doing so for fear of feeling “sissy” and being judged on China’s Instagram-like social platform Xiaohongshu, sparking discussions online about masculine stereotypes.

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[Randy W]

Tired of the constant disruptions caused by phone usage, chatting, and other interruptions during screenings, passionate cinemagoers across China have taken matters into their own hands.

from the Sixth Tone on Facebook 
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Lights, Camera, Etiquette: China’s Film Fans Want a Silent Show
To battle distractions, movie fans are now recording disruptive behavior during screenings in an online shared document. They hope it will help create a more respectful movie-watching culture.

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Frustrated with the lack of movie theater etiquette, many have banded together to create an online document that is circulating in ticket exchange group chats on the messaging platform WeChat. The document serves as a comprehensive record of interruptions, particularly during screenings at film festivals. 

This public document captures instances of chitchatting, calls being answered, and even photos being taken covertly during screenings, shedding light on the extent of the issue. By documenting such incidents, cinema enthusiasts aim to raise awareness and hold individuals accountable for their disruptive actions.

 

 

[Randy W]

‘No point going home’: husband sits in car after work, says wife ‘nags’ him at home in viral video, causing outrage in China

• A video of a husband sitting in his car instead of going home after work angers mainland social media, with many labelling him lazy and selfish
• The man tells his wife he is sleeping in the car because she ‘nags’ him and will not allow him to play video games or relax at home

from the SCMP

“No point going home. When I try to spend a little time on video games or my smartphone, you can’t stop nagging me,” the man says to his wife in the video. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo
 

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The unnamed man from Hubei province in central China became the target of public anger after the video went viral online, with many accusing him of running away from his domestic responsibilities, Manjing Video reported.

The video showed the man leaning back in the driver’s seat as his wife talked with him from the front passenger seat.

“Why don’t you want to go home?” his wife asked him.

 

 

[Randy W]

Yinchuan: China restaurant gas explosion kills 31

from the BBC News

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Nine people have been detained over an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-west China which has killed at least 31 people.

A gas leak is suspected to have caused the explosion in Yinchuan city on Wednesday night local time.

President Xi Jinping has called for "all-out efforts" in the rescue and an investigation into the blast.

The owner of the Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant was among those in custody, state media reported.

The explosion occurred on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday in China, a time when many families and friends gather for celebratory meals.

Several high school students and retirees were among the dead, local media reported.

The death toll is expected to rise with at least seven people injured, one of whom is in a critical condition, Xinhua news agency reported.