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DC5m United States china in english 33 articles, created at 2016-11-25 18:28 articles set mostly positive rate 2.9

1 8.9 13 detained in China over deadly construction collapse

(2.17/3) Chinese authorities said they detained 13 people over the collapse of scaffolding at a power plant construction site that killed 74 workers in one of China's most serious industrial accidents in years. 2016-11-25 17:15 2KB www.sacbee.com

2 3.3 Assailant seeking 'revenge' stabs 7 children in China The state broadcaster reported that the 58-year-old man wanted “revenge against society. " 2016-11-25 11:00 1KB rssfeeds.usatoday.com (2.15/3)

3 1.1 Windsor Castle puts up its Christmas tree The Royal Collection Trust bedecked the castle's State Rooms with decorations

(2.08/3) including 20ft Nordmann fir, hung with Chinese lanterns and a replica of the Imperial State Crown. 2016-11-25 10:49 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

4 0.0 Beijing warns against Taiwan ties as Singapore tries to free troop carriers in Hong Kong

(2.04/3) By Greg Torode and Marius Zaharia HONG KONG/SINGAPORE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Beijing on Friday warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan, a... 2016-11-25 08:28 5KB www.dailymail.co.uk

5 13.5 German Couple on Trial for Rape, Slaying of Chinese Student A young couple in eastern Germany is on trial on charges they abducted, raped and killed a Chinese student this year. Sebastian F., the 21-year-old son of two police (1.18/3) officers, and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Xenia I., didn't... 2016-11-25 10:32 1KB abcnews.go.com

6 0.7 Stoke striker Wilfried Bony could leave for Chinese Super League in January as Mark Hughes confirms clause in (1.03/3) striker's loan deal The striker is bidding to rebuild his reputation after following a goal-laden spell at Swansea with a frustrating period at City, though it has emerged he has an option to further his career in China. 2016-11-25 07:10 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

7 2.2 Horror at a Chinese primary school after seven children are wounded in shocking axe attack (1.02/3) Seven primary school children in China have been injured by an 'axe-wielding' man. The man attacked seven children and two adults at the school in Hangzhong on November 25. 2016-11-25 08:52 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 8 3.1 China orders all residents in Muslim-dominant province to hand in their passports (1.02/3) China has ordered that residents of its heavily populated Muslim province hand in their passports. State media announced the move on November 23. 2016-11-25 07:13 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

9 2.6 Britain's Patten slams Hong Kong independence movement Hong Kong's last British colonial governor Chris Patten attacked the city's pro-

(1.02/3) independence movement Friday as the push for a split with China grows over fears of Beijing's tightening grip. 2016-11-25 06:30 4KB www.digitaljournal.com

10 6.2 Japan Wants to Build the World's Fastest Supercomputer

China is currently home to the world's best-performing machine. 2016-11-25 06:10 3KB (1.02/3) fortune.com

11 0.0 Trump will pursue 'regional hegemony' in South China Sea: Chinese academics BEIJING (Reuters) - A Donald Trump presidency does not mean the United States will (1.00/3) withdraw from the South China Sea, but rather will continue pursuing "regional hegemony", Chinese academics who drafted a report for an influential government think tank said on Friday... 2016-11-25 07:08 890Bytes article.wn.com

12 0.7 China watching Trump policies, will defend trade rights China will pay close attention to trade policies implemented by US President-elect (0.01/3) Donald Trump, and will defend its rights in the World Trade Organization, a senior Chinese official said Wednesday. In a campaign punctuated by incendiary accusations, Trump promised to declare China a currency manipu... 2016-11-25 10:37 997Bytes article.wn.com

13 5.6 $23 Billion Investment Reportedly Pledged by Firms The government has been campaigning for an integrated megacity of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. 2016-11-25 06:25 1KB fortune.com (0.01/3)

14 0.2 That's a cracking interview! Unlucky TV guest falls to the ground after his chair collapses during a live show Hilarious footage shows the moment a TV guest fell off his chair during a live television broadcast in China on November 22. One host found the incident so hilarious, she was unable to continue. 2016-11-25 11:09 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 15 3.0 ‘Growing numbers’ of Hong Kong high school students applying for US universities – and paying thousands for ‘college prep’ tutoring Local youngsters are increasingly applying to study in the States, and paying big bucks to prepare 2016-11-25 10:25 4KB www.scmp.com

16 2.9 Asia in 3 minutes: Facebook’s censorship plan for China, Park Geun-hye’s viagra and a Daimler boss fired for racist rant

Your guide to the biggest stories in Asia this week 2016-11-25 10:10 7KB www.scmp.com

17 0.2 Meet the man who dedicates his life to preventing suicides in China's most notorious jumping spot - and he has saved 321 people in 13 years Chen Si, 48, patrols the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge every weekend. At 197 feet above waters, the bridge is a notorious suicide spot in China. Mr Chen has saved 321 people in 13 years. 2016-11-25 10:05 7KB www.dailymail.co.uk

18 3.1 ‘Cunning’ Hong Kong woman who raked in millions through fake flat sales found guilty of deception Court told how she tricked numerous buyers into paying deposits, then returned bad cheques 2016-11-25 09:41 2KB www.scmp.com

19 0.5 China releases Mad Max rip-off movie titled Mad Sheila Beijing-based studio New Film Media has produced their own Mad Max-style film called 'Mad Sheila' with the movie's poster and trailer clearly resembling the Hollywood original. 2016-11-25 09:34 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

20 0.7 Hollywood's golden age in China is coming to an end Hollywood studios have been coming to grips with the fact that China will soon be the world’s largest market for entertainment. Movies increasingly are co-produced by cash-rich Chinese moguls. Chinese stars are cast in supporting roles. Praise for Chinese culture is being randomly stuck into... 2016-11-25 09:00 7KB www.latimes.com

21 0.9 Shocking CCTV footage shows Indian nursery worker beating a baby Footage from the nursery's own CCTV camera caught the carer, Afsana Shaikh, red handed as she delivered the beating during naptime at the day care centre in Kharghar, Western India. 2016-11-25 08:45 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 22 0.0 Xiaomi says shrinking smartphone sales won’t hit the company Sharp drops in smartphone sales for China's Xiaomi Inc will not have a major impact on the company as profit growth will be driven by sales from smart home devices as well as revenue from its software eco-system, a senior executive said. 2016-11-25 14:53 3KB feedproxy.google.com

23 3.2 Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock trading link to launch Dec. 5 By Michelle Price HONG KONG, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A long-awaited stock trading link between the Hong Kong and Shenzhen exchanges will go live on Dec. 5, regula... 2016-11-25 08:29 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk

24 0.9 Big machines, small signs of recovery in China China's construction equipment sector hums back to life after five years of falling sales. Reuters' Brenda Goh talked to vendors at the Bauma Trade Fair in Shanghai. She says there's a sense of new optimism following a boom in housing, mining, and infrastructure. 2016-11-25 08:21 850Bytes article.wn.com

25 2.3 Yum China in $200 million talks with delivery giant Fresh off a spin-off from the U. S. powerhouse behind KFC and Pizza hut, sources tell Reuters Yum China is in talks to buy Daojia.com.cn, a Chinese food delivery service with 3,000 employees, serving more than 6,000 restaurants. Engen... 2016-11-25 08:21 850Bytes article.wn.com

26 0.0 Squeezy does it! Contortionist weaves herself through tight obstacle course in breathtaking feat of flexibility Sun Fei, 28, from China, folded and contorted her body through an eight-metre high obstacle course to impress judges and audiences on Impossible Challenge, a talent show on China Central TV. 2016-11-25 07:43 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

27 2.6 ‘Comrades: Almost A Love Story’ to be Remade as Korean Series Peter Chan Ho-sun’s classic Hong Kong tale “Comrades: Almost A Love Story,” is to be remade as a 20-part Korean TV series. The show is to be produced by Studio LYD. Chan’s 1996 tale of two mainland… 2016-11-25 06:57 1KB variety.com

28 1.7 South Africa CCTV shows police officers RUN AWAY from armed robbery This is the extraordinary moment two police officers appear to run away from an armed robbery in South Africa. CCTV footage shows the cops moving away and then escaping when the scene gets scary. 2016-11-25 06:53 1KB www.dailymail.co.uk 29 2.1 China orders banks to stop issuing dual-currency credit cards to stem capital flight The People’s Bank of China has ordered the country’s banks to stop issuing credit cards that allow customers to transact purchases in dual currencies, in the latest move to plug regulatory gaps and stem capital flight while the renminbi continues... 2016-11-25 06:47 4KB www.scmp.com

30 0.0 A Housing Frenzy Bedevils Beijing A housing-market frenzy on the edge of Beijing, in Tongzhou, shows China’s challenge in promoting controlled economic development 2016-11-25 06:43 1KB www.wsj.com

31 1.4 Chinese City Changsha Vows to Keep Home Prices from Rising This Month The city is rolling out seven new measures amid worries about looming property bubbles. 2016-11-25 06:17 1KB fortune.com

32 2.9 Olympics-China plans skiing, skating drive for 2022 Winter Games SHANGHAI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - China wants to get 300 million citizens involved in winter sports by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and plans to encourage the... 2016-11-25 06:10 2KB www.dailymail.co.uk

33 2.7 Hong Kong leader appoints two new cabinet members just four months from leadership race Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan and Martin Liao Cheung-kong, convenor of the pro-establishment camp in the Legislative Council, become non-official members of the Executive Council 2016-11-25 06:07 4KB www.scmp.com Articles

DC5m United States china in english 33 articles, created at 2016-11-25 18:28

1 /33 8.9 13 detained in China over deadly construction collapse

(2.17/3) Chinese authorities said they detained 13 people over the collapse of scaffolding at a power plant construction site that killed 74 workers in one of China's most serious industrial accidents in years.

Most of the dead had been working on the interior concrete wall of a massive circular cooling tower 70 meters (230 feet) up when the scaffolding collapsed Thursday morning.

Although authorities did not disclose details about the 13 detentions, the focus of the investigation has turned to the power plant's operator, Jiangxi Ganneng, and a major engineering firm, Hebei Yineng, which has taken on multiple high-profile power plant projects and has a history of workplace fatalities.

Yineng has won contracts to build plants in more than a dozen provinces and in Turkey and Malaysia, according to previous interviews given by executives. In 2012, seven Yineng builders in a cooling tower in Yunnan province tumbled to their deaths after scaffolding collapsed. Three years before that, two workers died after a vehicle accidentally backed into a scaffolding support beam at a Yineng-built cooling tower in Guangdong province.

Several of the company's publicly listed telephone lines and a mobile phone number for the company's legal representative rang unanswered on Friday. The company's websites could not be opened.

State media reports said the accident occurred during a change of work shifts, possibly accounting for the high death toll. Workers had also been toiling around-the-clock in three shifts to make progress on the project ahead of the arrival of bitter winter weather, according to local media interviews with surviving employees.

The 1,000-megawatt coal-fired plant had been designated a priority project by the province, likely adding to the pressure on workers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged local governments to hold those responsible accountable and an investigation was underway.

China has suffered several major work-safety accidents in recent years blamed on weak regulatory oversight, systemic corruption and pressure to boost production amid a slowing economy. Raw: Scaffolding collapse Arrests after deadly China 13 arrested in China over China officials detain 13 kills dozens in China scaffold collapse deadly power plant accident over deadly construction rssfeeds.usatoday.com article.wn.com article.wn.com accident article.wn.com

Scaffolding's collapse kills 74 in China article.wn.com

2016-11-25 17:15 The Associated www.sacbee.com

2 /33 3.3 Assailant seeking 'revenge' stabs 7 children in China

(2.15/3) An attacker armed with a knife wounded seven children and two adults outside a primary school in China on Friday in a bid for "revenge," according to media reports.

The incident happened in the central city of Hanzhong.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the 58-year-old male suspect apparently wanted “revenge against society” after he was prosecuted for theft.

Photos posted on social media showed a child being carried away on a stretcher.

The incident is the latest in a string of stabbing attacks on children in the country.

In April 2010, a man entered a kindergarten in the eastern Jiangsu province and stabbed 28 children and three adults. It happened a day after a man stabbed 15 students at a primary school in Guangdong province, southern China. The month before, a 42-year-old man stabbed and killed eight primary school students in the eastern Fujian province.

The incidents led some schools to ramp up security.

In December 2012, a man stabbed 20 children outside a primary school in the eastern Henan province. In February this year, a man stabbed 10 children outside the gates of their school in the city of Haikou, on the island province of Hainan, before using the knife to kill himself. Knife-wielding attacker Knife-wielding attacker Knife-Wielding Attacker injures 7 children in China wounds seven children in Injures 7 Children in China rssfeeds.usatoday.com China abcnews.go.com timeslive.co.za

2016-11-25 11:00 Jane Onyanga rssfeeds.usatoday.com

3 /33 (2.08/3) 1.1 Windsor Castle puts up its Christmas tree While department stores have been trying to outdo each other with elaborate Christmas decorations, most will pale in comparison to this elaborate display at Windsor Castle. A 20ft Nordman fir made up the centrepiece of the opulent decorations, hung up on Friday, at the Queen's Berkshire residence.. The glittering display at the castle where monarchs have celebrated Christmas since the 12th century also included giant red velvet bows and twinkling fairy lights. Meanwhile the towering fir in St George's Hall is bedecked with Chinese lanterns, gold ribbon, and even a miniature version of the Imperial State Crown. Royal Collection Trust staff were responsible for putting the finishing touches to the State Apartments, including a giant hanging wreath on the Grand Staircase. The Christmas decorations have become an annual attraction at the castle, which last year bedecked its rooms with a Regency theme. George's IV's mother Queen Charlotte famously decorated her home with yew, which used to be the traditional Christmas tree before fir trees were popularised by Prince Albert in the mid-19th century. A memoir of Queen Charlotte, published in 1819, recalls how ‘in the middle of the room stood an immense tub with a yew-tree placed in it.' It details how the branches were adorned with: 'bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged, and the whole illuminated by small wax candles’.

Lindsay Lohan is a no-show Putting Christmas Lights at Christmas tree lighting and Tree Stands to the Test foxnews.com article.wn.com

2016-11-25 10:49 Unity Blott www.dailymail.co.uk

4 /33 0.0 Beijing warns against Taiwan ties as Singapore tries to free troop carriers in Hong Kong (2.04/3) By Greg Torode and Marius Zaharia HONG KONG/SINGAPORE, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Beijing on Friday warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan, after Singaporean armoured troop carriers were seized en route from the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that Beijing was verifying reports that Hong Kong customs had seized nine Singapore troop carriers and other equipment in 12 containers being shipped from Taiwan after military exercises. Singapore's defence ministry said on Thursday it was trying to free the carriers "expeditiously", while Hong Kong customs said on Friday that its officers were still investigating the shipment. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred questions to the defence ministry. The defence ministry did not comment beyond its official statement. "The entry and exit of foreign personnel and goods in the Hong Kong special administrative region should respect its relevant laws," Geng said. "I wish to reiterate that the Chinese government consistently and resolutely opposes any form of official exchanges, including military exchanges and cooperation, between countries with which we have diplomatic relations and the Taiwan region. " The seizure comes amid mounting regional uncertainty and signs of rising tension between China and Singapore, which has deepened its security relationship with the United States over the last year and remains concerned over Beijing's assertive territorial stance in the South China Sea. Regional diplomatic sources say Chinese officials are particularly concerned at Singapore's hosting of increased deployments of U. S. P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes, which are equipped with various sensors that can target China's expanding Hainan-based submarine fleet. Officials on both sides have unusually traded barbs in public in recent months, including an accusation by Singapore's ambassador to China in September that a major state- run Chinese newspaper had fabricated a report about Singapore's position on the South China Sea. Chinese leaders have repeatedly told Singaporean counterparts not to get involved in the territorial dispute, in which China asserts sovereignty over waters and islands claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore has no claims, but as the biggest port in Southeast Asia, its open economy depends on continued free navigation in the area. Manila and Kuala Lumpur are now the focus of Chinese diplomatic charm offensives, further complicating Singapore's neighbourhood just as the election of Donald Trump to the U. S. presidency compounds strategic uncertainties, regional diplomats and analysts say. CHINA MAY PRESSURE SINGAPORE, EXPERTS SAY Singapore has had a longstanding if low-key military relationship with Taiwan, despite having a strong diplomatic relationship with Beijing as well as with a range of Western militaries. Singaporean defence experts say the Singaporean military still maintains a small semi-permanent presence in Taiwan, with larger numbers of infantry troops being sent to the island for annual training drills. It has gradually reduced that training, moving to other facilities in Australia and India, but is unlikely to pull out of Taiwan completely, experts said. Singapore has also traditionally served as a venue for diplomacy between Beijing and Taipei. Bernard Loo, a security expert at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said that while some kind of administrative mistake may have sparked the detention, he suspected that Chinese officials would be keen to use the case to send another signal of concern to Singapore. "In the current climate between Singapore and China, this one is a real opportunity for Beijing to pressure Singapore a bit more," he said. Regional diplomats said that Chinese military officials could be expected to discreetly inspect the vehicles and other equipment. While state-of-the-art, the Singaporean vehicles are not considered particularly sensitive military equipment. While Hong Kong runs a separate government system from mainland China under the terms of its handover from Britain to China in 1997, including customs, Beijing has the right to get involved in issues related to foreign affairs and defence. Singapore defence ministry officials said on Friday the shipment involved no ammunition or sensitive equipment, and had earlier contracted commercial shipping line APL to handle the cargo. "APL was required to comply with all regulations including... obtaining the necessary permits required to transit through ports," a ministry statement said. APL staff are now working with Hong Kong officials to free the shipment, aided by Singaporean diplomats and military officials. An APL spokesman confirmed the discussions. "APL is committed to ensuring cargo security as well as full compliance with all regulatory and trade requirements in its conduct of business," the spokesman said. APL is a subsidiary of the French-based CMA CGM Group. (Additional reporting by Venus Wu and Watson Tan in Hong Kong and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Singapore teams heads to Is seizure of armoured Hong Kong to secure army vehicles in Hong Kong a carriers signal of Beijing’s mynorthwest.com displeasure over Singapore- Taiwan military ties? scmp.com

2016-11-25 08:28 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

5 /33 13.5 German Couple on Trial for Rape, Slaying of Chinese Student (1.18/3) A young couple in eastern Germany is on trial on charges they abducted, raped and killed a Chinese student this year.

Sebastian F., the 21-year-old son of two police officers, and his 20-year- old girlfriend, Xenia I., didn't make statements as their trial opened Friday at Dessau's state court.

The dpa news agency reports they showed no reaction as prosecutor Heike Kropf detailed the brutal injuries the 25-year-old architecture student suffered to her head and body.

The couple is alleged to have hauled the victim into an abandoned house while she was on her way home from jogging in May, beating and sexually assaulting her for an hour before dragging her outside to die of her injuries.

They told authorities they met the woman for consensual sex, but denied killing her. German couple on trial for rape, slaying of Chinese student article.wn.com

2016-11-25 10:32 By abcnews.go.com

6 /33 0.7 Stoke striker Wilfried Bony could leave for Chinese Super League in January as Mark Hughes confirms clause in striker's loan deal (1.03/3) Stoke boss Mark Hughes admits Wilfried Bony has a clause in his loan deal that allows Chinese Super League clubs to buy him in January, but he does not fear the Ivorian swapping The Potteries for Far East riches. Bony, 27, is on a season-long contract from Hughes' old club Manchester City and has so far scored twice in 10 appearances. The striker is bidding to rebuild his reputation in England after following a goal-laden spell at Swansea with a frustrating period at his parent club, though it has emerged that the option to further his career in China could be on the table in the new year. The Telegraph's report that City inserted a section in Bony's Stoke deal which stated that he could be transferred to a Chinese Super League side when their window reopens was stood up by Hughes, who expects his loanee to shun any lucrative offer from abroad. 'I think that may well be true, but a lot of things have come to the fore to make that happen, not least that Wilf needs to want to go himself,' Hughes said. 'I don't think he will want to. I think he sees himself very much as a Premier League player this year and in the years to follow. 'Any thoughts of moving to other shores would be dependent on whether or not he had a desire to do that. 'Clearly, if his club thought it was a good deal they would try and influence that but I don't anticipate that happening, certainly not in January. 'There seems to be significant amounts of money being banded about (in China), but I would suggest Wilf's not too short of a few quid to be perfectly honest. 'In terms of Wilf, I think he's more focused on continuing his career in the Premier League with us, so unless he comes and knocks on my door and says he's had an offer... I'd be very surprised.' Hughes also confirmed that there was no stipulation where Stoke have agreed to pay a set fee for Bony during, or at the end of, his temporary stay. 'We're not thinking on those terms at the moment,' the Welshman added. 'We're delighted that he's here until the end of the season in our view and we'll look at it again. It's not something that's in the contract, we haven't got a price that's been agreed, sometimes you can do that but that's clearly not what Man City wanted.' Bony is expected to lead the line against Watford on Sunday, but a suspension to Joe Allen and injuries have left Hughes short in the midfield department. Glenn Whelan remains a doubt with a calf problem, Geoff Cameron is missing because of a knee issue and a problem in the same area will keep full-back Phil Bardsley out for a number of weeks.

Hughes expects Bony to shun Chinese Super League and honour Stoke loan independent.ie

2016-11-25 07:10 Liam Blackburn www.dailymail.co.uk

7 /33 2.2 Horror at a Chinese primary school after seven children are wounded in shocking axe attack (1.02/3) Seven primary school children in China have been injured by an 'axe-wielding' man. The man attacked seven children and two adults at the school in Hangzhong, China's Shaanxi province on November 25, reports Huanqiu , an affiliation with the People's Daily Online. The man was eventually stopped by security guards from a nearby hotel. According to witnesses, the man is thought to be in his 50s. Witnesses also said that he has a mental illness. The children were in the primary school's yard when the man attacked just before noon. Pictures from the scene show the injured students and adults being taken to hospital by emergency services. People on China's social media site Weibo have been left shocked by the incident. One user commented: 'It's heart breaking to see the children getting injured.' While another wrote: 'How could he attack the innocent children?' And one said: 'Policemen were so efficient this time.' This isn't the first time that schools in China have been the victim of attacks. In February, 10 children were injured after a man stabbed them at a school gate in southern China.

Seven children slashed by knife-wielding man outside primary school in China article.wn.com 2016-11-25 08:52 Sophie Williams www.dailymail.co.uk

8 /33 3.1 China orders all residents in Muslim-dominant province to hand in their passports (1.02/3) China has ordered that residents of one of its heavily Muslim populated provinces return their passports. State mouth piece Global Times explained on November 23 in a report that the move in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was to 'maintain social order'. Those wishing to use their passports will have to apply to the local police station for the return of the documents. According to the Global Times , all residents of Xinjiang province will be required to hand in their passports to local police stations for examination and management. The passports will then be managed by police with those wishing to use their travel document having to apply for its return. Shihezi city's Public Security Bureau announced on their social media account that 'those who refuse to hand in their passports should bear the responsibility themselves if they are forbidden from going abroad'. Obtaining a passport in the region was made increasingly difficult in 2015 following a move from the government. Those from Muslim populations now have to provide extensive documentation and has reportedly led to waits of up to five years. William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International told MailOnline: 'The authorities have already stepped up their efforts to control nearly all aspects of life. 'The one escape route for Uighurs has been to go abroad, but now by confiscating passports, the police can control the movements of all people leaving the region. 'This is probably meant not only to deter potential criminals from going abroad to receive terrorist training, as the government suggests, but also to ensure that the human rights problems in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region are not “internationalized” – something the government has long feared.' In recent years there have been crackdowns by the Chinese government in the region in a bid to curb terrorism which it blames on Islamist militants. Xinjiang is home to 10.37 million Uygurs who practice the Muslim faith. It is a four and a half hour flight from Beijing. Many muslims in the country say they feel victimised by the government who have tightened control on the region. On October 12, the government unveiled new education rules meaning that those who encourage or force children into religious activities will be reported to the police. Previous rules have already banned beards for men and head coverings for women. China orders Xinjiang residents to surrender passports article.wn.com

2016-11-25 07:13 Sophie Williams www.dailymail.co.uk

9 /33 2.6 Britain's Patten slams Hong Kong independence movement (1.02/3) Hong Kong's last British colonial governor Chris Patten attacked the city's pro-independence movement Friday as the push for a split with China grows over fears of Beijing's tightening grip.

Patten said he was fully behind the strengthening of democracy in Hong Kong, but accused independence activists of "making a mockery" of the issue.

His comments came on the same day that two publicly elected young lawmakers, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, appealed against a ban against them taking up their seats in the legislature.

They were disqualified in a High Court judgement last week after they added expletives and used derogatory terms for China when taking their oaths of office in October.

The High Court's move had been preempted by an earlier intervention from Beijing which said they should not be allowed to join parliament.

Patten was governor of Hong Kong when it was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 under a semi-autonomous deal protecting its freedoms for 50 years. There are deep-seated concerns that those liberties are now under threat.

He said that he believed passionately in the city's rule of law and freedoms, but dismissed the pro-independence camp as resorting to headline-grabbing "antics".

"It would be dishonest, dishonourable and reckless for somebody like me to pretend that the case for democracy should be mixed up with an argument about the independence of Hong Kong," he told a packed room at the Foreign Correspondents' Club during a visit to the city.

Patten said independence would never happen and that the movement had diluted support for democracy. "Taking oaths isn't something of a lark," he added,

"In London, I take an oath with my hand on the bible," Patten said.

- 'Moral high ground' -

Pro-democracy campaigners who led mass rallies calling for fully free leadership elections in 2014 risked losing the moral high ground by championing independence and self- determination, Patten said.

Some of those leaders, including popular figures Joshua Wong and Nathan Law -- Hong Kong's youngest lawmaker -- are now campaigning for self-determination, with independence as an option, after the huge "Umbrella Movement" protests failed to win concessions on political reform.

Patten told AFP that they should instead campaign for "immediate objectives" such as reform of the pro-Beijing committee that currently chooses the city's leader and better democratic representation in the legislature.

"There are lots of people who agreed with them on democracy who won't touch this stuff about self-determination with a barge pole," he told AFP.

However, Patten did criticise the slow pace of democratic development in Hong Kong -- something which has frustrated young campaigners -- and said the city should eventually be able to choose its own leader.

The city's next chief executive will be chosen in March 2017 by an electoral committee of interest groups skewed towards Beijing.

Patten also told the audience during his FCC address that Beijing should leave the Hong Kong courts to decide on the fate of the banned pro-independence legislators.

Responding to Patten's comments, disqualified lawmaker Leung said those elected on a pro- independence ticket could not ignore the calls of voters.

"The discussion of self-determination or even independence is a step...to protect the freedom of our system," he told reporters at the High Court.

Ex-Hong Kong governor Patten says independence call a 'terrible mistake' article.wn.com

2016-11-25 06:30 www.digitaljournal.com

10 /33 10 /33 6.2 Japan Wants to Build the World's Fastest Supercomputer (1.02/3) Japan plans to build the world’s fastest-known supercomputer in a bid to arm the country’s manufacturers with a platform for research that could help them develop and improve driverless cars, robotics, and medical diagnostics. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will spend 19.5 billion yen ($173 million) on the previously unreported project, a budget breakdown shows, as part of a government policy to get back Japan ‘s mojo in the world of technology. The country has lost its edge in many electronic fields amid intensifying competition from South Korea and China, home to the world’s current best-performing machine.

In a move that is expected to vault Japan to the top of the supercomputing heap, its engineers will be tasked with building a machine that can make 130 quadrillion calculations per second – or 130 petaflops in scientific parlance – as early as next year, sources involved in the project told Reuters.

At that speed, Japan ‘s computer would be ahead of China’s Sunway Taihulight that is capable of 93 petaflops.

“As far as we know, there is nothing out there that is as fast,” said Satoshi Sekiguchi, a director general at Japan ‘s N​ ational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, where the computer will be built.

The push to return to the vanguard comes at a time of growing nostalgia for the heyday of Japan ‘s technological prowess, which has dwindled since China overtook it as the world’s second- biggest economy.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for companies, bureaucrats and the political class to work more closely together so Japan can win in robotics, batteries, renewable energy and other new and growing markets.

DEEP LEARNING

In the area of supercomputing, Japan ‘s aim is to use ultra-fast calculations to accelerate advances in artificial intelligence (AI), such as “deep learning” technology that works off algorithms which mimic the human brain’s neural pathways, to help computers perform new tasks and analyze scores of data.

Recent achievements in this area have come from Google’s googl DeepMind AI program, AlphaGo, which in March beat South Korean professional Lee Seedol in the ancient board game of Go. Applications include helping companies improve driverless vehicles by allowing them to analyze huge troves of visual traffic data, or it could help factories improve automation.

China uses the Sunway Taihulight for weather forecasting, pharmaceutical research, industrial design, among other things.

Japan ‘s new supercomputer could help tap medical records to develop new services and applications, Sekiguchi said.

The supercomputer will be made available for a fee to Japan ‘s corporations, who now outsource data crunching to foreign firms such as Google and Microsoft , Sekiguchi and others involved in the project said.

The new computer has been dubbed ABCI, an acronym for AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure. Bidding for the project has begun and will close on Dec. 8.

Fujitsu fjtsf , the builder of the fastest Japan ese supercomputer to date – the Oakforest-PACS, capable of 13.6 petaflops, declined to say if it would bid for the project.

The company has, however, said it is keen to be involved in supercomputer development.

Japan aims to top tech charts again, looks to build world’s fastest supercomputer — RT News rt.com

2016-11-25 06:10 Reuters fortune.com

11 /33 0.0 Trump will pursue 'regional hegemony' in South China Sea: Chinese academics (1.00/3) BEIJING (Reuters) - A Donald Trump presidency does not mean the United States will withdraw from the South China Sea , but rather will continue pursuing "regional hegemony", Chinese academics who drafted a report for an influential China considers granting Philippines access to disputed shoal: adviser article.wn.com

2016-11-25 07:08 system article.wn.com

12 /33 0.7 China watching Trump policies, will defend trade rights

(0.01/3) China will pay close attention to trade policies implemented by US President- elect Donald Trump, and will defend its rights in the World Trade Organization, a senior Chinese official said Wednesday. In a campaign punctuated by incendiary accusations, Trump promised to declare China a currency manipu...

With North Korea Looming, Trump May Be Rethinking China Showdown article.wn.com

2016-11-25 10:37 system article.wn.com

13 /33 5.6 $23 Billion Investment Reportedly Pledged by Firms

(0.01/3) More than 420 Beijing-based companies have opened offices in neighboring Tianjin this year, pledging to invest 160 billion yuan ($23.14 billion), state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The Chinese government has been campaigning for an integrated megacity of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province since 2014, in an effort to ease pressure on its crowded capital by transferring industries further out into Tianjin and Hebei.

It dubbed the area “Jing-Jin-Ji,” using shortened versions of the names of the cities and province.

Firms that have pledged to put down over 1 billion yuan in Tianjin include China ‘s home-grown ride-hailing application Didi Chuxing and financial service platform Gome Finance, Xinhua said, citing the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone Management Committee.

For more on business in China, watch Fortune’s video:

It’s not immediately clear how much investment has been made by those firms in Tianjin this year.

Johnson & Johnson Reportedly Aiming to Buy $17 Billion Biotech Firm fortune.com

2016-11-25 06:25 Reuters fortune.com

14 /33 0.2 That's a cracking interview! Unlucky TV guest falls to the ground after his chair collapses during a live show The clip was posted to different platforms including 163.com and Miaopai , a short video sharing app in China on November 22. It has attracted 2.5 million views so far. The news program later apologized on its official Weibo for the 'unexpected incident', reported People's Daily. However, many users on Miaopai showed support towards the female host's response. 'It's impossible to withhold laughter at this situation,' one noted. 'She's so genuine. That's alright to laugh,' another said. 'She's amazing. She could calm herself down so quickly,' an user commented.

2016-11-25 11:09 Julian Luk www.dailymail.co.uk

15 /33 15 /33 3.0 ‘Growing numbers’ of Hong Kong high school students applying for US universities – and paying thousands for ‘college prep’ tutoring Growing numbers of Hong Kong high school students are applying to universities in the United States in the hope of a better education – and the trend is fuelling the expansion of the “college prep” tutor industry in the city, consultants have said. Some students and parents report that the extra assistance is helpful for their applications, while education experts say it is unnecessary and contributes to inequality within education and beyond. But tutors and coaches insist they are just responding to the demand and are helping relieve the anxiety of the university application process. At the Edge Learning Centre in Causeway Bay, university admissions courses cost HK$18,000 while hourly consulting rates range from HK$4,000 to HK$8,500. The centre charges between HK$120,000 and HK$250,000 for a full university admissions package, depending on the counsellors. Duc Luu, the company’s chief executive, said despite the surge in business in recent years, he had observed the number of Hong Kong students being accepted to US universities declining. “Broadly, university application processes are getting tougher and tougher every year, especially for the top 50 universities in the US,” he said. “That’s happening worldwide.” Luu said the application process was a cause of stress for some students, but blamed this on the intensity of the job market. “I think it has become more stressful,” he said. “But I think the stress is as much related to the job market ... than anything else. We generally get 100 per cent of our students into one of their top three choices.” Carole Bird, director of Apply Ivy, agreed that the number of Hongkongers applying to American colleges had increased, although her company could not provide statistics. “Brand recognition, especially in Asia, is very important to a lot of people, so I don’t think that’s going away,” she said. Bird also said the cost of consultant coaching packages had increased. “It should be seen as a long-term investment, not a short-term expense,” she said. “In terms of the financial commitment, it’s definitely something families need to plan for.” But Hugo Horta, assistant professor at the faculty of education at the University of Hong Kong, said the “college prep” system perpetuated the cycle of inequality by making it increasingly difficult for students from low-income families to apply. He had “serious doubts” about how useful the training provided by such consultancy services was, and said they were exploiting a perceived need that did not necessarily exist. “This is the market working on families that do not have much information ... but know that it’s important to send their kids there,” he said. “This can lead to quite perverse practices in education.” Tiffany Cheng, 17, a pupil at Canadian International School who paid HK$10,000 for ACT (American College Testing) preparation but opted not to shell out for college counselling, said she was applying to study psychology in the US for “the atmosphere”. “If I go to the US, I’ll meet people from a more diverse culture and will be able to learn something about where they’ve been,” she said. “Whereas maybe in Hong Kong, everyone is more competitive and only focuses on academia.” Dr Jun Li of the Division of Policy, Administration and Social Sciences Education at HKU, said Hong Kong parents remained attracted to the prestige of US universities, but low-income families should consider local ones if the higher fees abroad would financially cripple them. “US colleges are considered world class and give the graduates good credit for career development in the future,” he said. “But for poorer families, the local universities could be the best choice. “The quality of education provided by the local universities is very good, if not better than those in the US. I would consider them equivalent. “But to some high school graduates, maybe they want a more authentic English learning experience.”

2016-11-25 10:25 Rachel Blundy www.scmp.com

16 /33 2.9 Asia in 3 minutes: Facebook’s censorship plan for China, Park Geun-hye’s viagra and a Daimler boss fired for racist rant Facebook has reportedly built a tool for geographically censoring posts on the leading social network as it seeks a path back into China. The New York Times cited three current and former Facebook employees, who asked for anonymity, as saying that the tool could filter users’ news feeds in specific places. “We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country,” a Facebook spokeswoman said in a statement. “However, we have not made any decision on our approach to China.” Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has supported the effort to build the tool for censoring posts, according to the Times story.

Facebook’s ‘censorship tool may not open doors’ in China

What next? The social network has been banned in China since 2009, evidently due to the interest by authorities there in controlling information shared, or movements organised using, the internet. But Facebook is determined to regain access. Zuckerberg has spent years studying Putonghua and has met Chinese leaders.

Myanmar is carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims, a UN official has reportedly said, as horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder emerge from among the thousands who have fled the country to Bangladesh. Up to 30,000 from the impoverished ethnic group have abandoned their homes to flee the unfolding violence, the UN said, after troops poured into the region earlier this month. John McKissick, head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR in the Bangladeshi border town of Cox’s Bazar, told the BBC troops were “killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses, forcing these people to cross the river” into Bangladesh. Dhaka has resisted urgent international appeals to open its border to avert a humanitarian crisis, telling Myanmar it must do more to prevent the stateless Rohingya minority from entering. Myanmar pursuing ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Rohingya, UN says

What next? Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN, indicated international intervention may be necessary, telling a closed meeting of the UN Security Council: “Initial enthusiasm of [the] international community to let Myanmar continue on this path of reform on its own seems to be dangerous at this stage.”

The office of South Korean President Park Geun-hye had to explain why it bought dozens of Viagra pills while preparing for her trip to Africa this year. Apparently it was not for anyone’s erectile dysfunction, but to treat possible altitude sickness. The presidential Blue House bought 364 pills in December, including 60 blue Viagra pills and the rest a generic version of the drug, according to the Democratic Party MP Kim Sang-hee. Park’s spokesman, Jung Youn-kuk said the pills were bought to treat altitude sickness for presidential staff during a visit to Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. “We bought them, but they were left unused,” Jung said. Viagra has been reported as helpful in treating high-altitude pulmonary edema, or altitude sickness.

What next? The news of the Viagra purchase created yet more embarrassment for Park, who is currently fighting a deepening scandal about her relationship with her aide and confidante Choi Soon-sil, who is accused of peddling influence. A vote to impeach Park could take place as early as next week, lawmakers said.

South Korea’s biggest sports star Kim Yu-na and Olympic swimmer dragged into scandal surrounding president Park Geun-hye

Rainer Gaertner can thank the internet for making his bad day much worse. The senior executive from car manufacturer Daimler was axed from his post in China over a foul-mouthed rant, apparently sparked by a dispute over a car park space in Beijing. A report of the incident was first posted on microblogging site Weibo on Sunday and was soon picked up by mainstream media. Gaertner reportedly lost his temper and shouted: “I am in China one year already. The first thing I learned here is that all you Chinese are b*****ds”. He is also alleged to have pepper-sprayed an onlooker who tried to intervene. Daimler, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, did not identify Gaertner but confirmed a member of a management team in China had been stood down.

Senior Daimler executive removed from post after racist tirade against Chinese people in Beijing parking row

What next? Daimler said the dispute was eventually resolved “amicably” and the authorities had closed their investigation. “Such an incident reflects in no way the values of Daimler AG and we sincerely apologise for the concerns raised by this matter”, the statement read.

Hong Kong was pitched into the South China Sea dispute after intercepting nine Singapore- bound armoured personnel carriers on a container ship from Taiwan. Customs officers’ find on Wednesday came amid cool relations between Beijing and Singapore after the city state backed the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China. Singapore’s armed forces conduct overseas training in about 12 countries including the US, Australia and Germany, and usually hire commercial shippers to transport military equipment, its military said. But sources said Singaporean authorities would need to contact the Chinese foreign ministry to get the kit back.

What next? China sees Singapore as backing Manila in an arbitration case on Beijing’s territorial claims. “Singapore will probably be in big trouble this time because Beijing could use this chance to give the city state a hard time [in retaliation for] Singapore’s stand,” said Macau- based military expert Antony Wong Dong.

Is seizure of armoured vehicles in Hong Kong a signal of Beijing’s displeasure over Singapore- Taiwan military ties?

A drug dealer whose father died in an alleged gun fight in prison told a Philippine senate probe he gave police officials and an opposition senator millions of pesos in protection money. Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr said he gave 8 million pesos (HK$1.24 million) to Senator Leila de Lima’s bodyguard last year. De Lima, who started an investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly anti-drug campaign, denied getting money from Espinosa, saying Duterte was trying to ruin her.

Philippines near ground zero in emerging market rout as peso falls to 2008 crisis levels

What next? Later, national police chief Ronald dela Rosa vowed to clean up the force, saying: “I will not surrender, I will clean up the national police.”

Compiled by Tom Sturrock

2016-11-25 10:10 Thomas Sturrock www.scmp.com

17 /33 0.2 Meet the man who dedicates his life to preventing suicides in China's most notorious jumping spot - and he has saved 321 people in 13 years Every weekend in the past 13 years, Chen Si would ride an electronic scooter for 20km (12.4 miles) from his home to China's most frequented suicide spot - come rain or shine. The 48-year-old man, a worker at a logistic company, makes the weekly trips at his own expense to prevent troubled souls from jumping off the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, a gargantuan structure spanning across China's longest river. 'By saving these desperate people, I feel like I am saving the past self,' said Mr Chen, who was once a frustrated migrant worker in the metropolitan city of Nanjing. The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge has always been one of the most famous bridges in China. Completed in 1968, the double-deck rail-road bridge was once the symbol of Communist China's industrial power. But it's also believed to be China's most frequented suicide spot with pedestrian platforms situated 60 metres (197 feet) above the fast-flowing Yangtze River. Statistics showed that more than 2,000 people had committed suicide from the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge between 1968 and 2006, according to People's Daily Online. Since 2003, Mr Chen, who is originally from a rural village in Suqian, has saved 321 lives, many of whom were desperate migrants who saw no future in the city and was too ashamed to go back to their hometowns. With every saving attempt, Mr Chen used all his might. He talked, he grabbed, he held strangers in his arms until they stopped struggling. 'I was once one of them,' said Mr Chen in an interview with MailOnline. 'I was helped by a kind-hearted countryman when I faced hardship working as a vegetable seller in Nanjing. ' The man, who speaks Mandarin with a heavy local accent, added: 'When my life got better, I wanted to help the others find hope.' Mr Chen said he came from an impoverished village and moved to Nanjing in 1990 - among his luggage he brought 50kg (110lbs) of rice with him to make sure he would not starve in the strange city. As the provincial capital of Jiangsu, Nanjing is one of the most modern and historic cities in China. With more than eight million residents, the former Chinese capital boasts ruins of an ancient palace and a glitzy 450-metre-tall (1,476 feet) skyscraper. However, the glamorous city is also an easy place to get lost for migrants. 'Sometimes, you face difficulty while living alone away from your home, all you need is a little encouragement from the others,' Mr Chen said. During his first five years in Nanjing, Mr Chen's life was hard. Working as a construction worker then a vegetable seller, he couldn't afford to rent a good house and had trouble finding a girlfriend. Then a friendly countryman gave him advice, encouraging him to open his own grocery store, through which Mr Chen managed to build a life. He got married and in 1997 he had a daughter. After watching the frequent suicidal attempts on the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge on the news, Mr Chen wanted to offer his help to these people - like what his friend had done to him. There were media reports claiming Mr Chen once contemplated suicide on the bridge himself. The man denied: 'I have never thought of killing myself even when I was a lowly vegetable seller.' Mr Chen patrols on the bridge every Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm. He has help from two local universities, whose psychology students would provide free counseling services to those in need. The man still remembers his first day as a volunteer on the bridge. 'It was September 19, 2003. I rode past the bridge, then I told my wife I would go up and take a look if anybody would need help,' he said. He stayed on the bridge the whole day and managed to save one person in the afternoon. Mr Chen said that man, surnamed Wang, told him that he lost hope in life because he had been wrongly convicted and had been imprisoned for two years. Mr Chen convinced Wang to get off the railing, escorted him to the foot of the bridge before writing him a note agreeing to help him prove his innocence. 'When I saved him, I did not have experience. But now I could tell whether or not someone is contemplating suicide by looking at their back,' said Mr Chen. 'Usually their head, shoulders, buttocks and legs are completely still because they only have one thought in their mind: death.' Most of the people he saved faced one of the five issues: mental illness, emotional trauma, debts, domestic violence or terminal illness. He said the hardest people to talk down are those dealing with domestic violence or terminal illness because it is hard for them to 'see past the hurdle'. Day in and day out, Mr Chen guards the platforms of the bridge trying to bring people from the verge of death. The man's selfless practice has moved people from around the world. In 2015, his stories were turned into an award- winning film, ' Angel of Nanjing ', by directors Jordan Horowitz and Frank Ferendo. On September 19, Mr Chen commemorated the 13th anniversary of his volunteer work on the bridge. He posted a blog, A Bridge Journal , listing the meaningful figures to him. He had successfully stopped 321 people from attempting suicide, provided assistance to 280 people who were in need of help and spent 12,650 hours looking after those he had saved. The volunteer work had cost him 748,750 yuan (£86,813), part of which had been covered by charity groups. Mr Chen not only saves people, but also helps them to regain confidence in life. He has rented a two-bedroom flat to the north of the Yangtze River so that those in need could have a place to stay after being saved from the bridge. The flat costs 1,000 yuan (£116) a month. Two- thirds of the cost is covered by donations and Mr Chen pays the rest. With a monthly salary of 4,000 yuan (£464), he spends half of the money on his volunteer work and hands the rest to his wife. 'I can't say my wife is happy about my volunteer work,' Mr Chen told MailOnline. 'Who would want their husband to spend this much money on strangers?' But looking forward, Mr Chen said he would carry on his work. 'I'm nearly 50 years old. I can't say I will do this forever because I don't want to give myself too much pressure. But I will certainly try my best.' The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge used to be the poster image used by the Communist rulers - because it was the first bridge they were able to build on their own across the iconic Yangtze River. But now, the structure has evolved to represented hope and faith - because of Mr Chen who believes that 'we should treat every day of our life with kindness'. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.

2016-11-25 10:05 Tracy You www.dailymail.co.uk

18 /33 3.1 ‘Cunning’ Hong Kong woman who raked in millions through fake flat sales found guilty of deception A “cunning” unemployed woman who pocketed more than HK$2.7 million in deposits while pretending to sell her father’s two flats was found guilty of deception on Friday for compensating victims with bad cheques. The District Court heard that Wong Siu- woon, 47, promised the Causeway Bay properties to numerous buyers at the same time and repeatedly demanded “deposits” while threatening to forfeit payments made by unsuspecting clients. The bogus sales were exposed when Sham Yin-yee realised through a search of the land register that the flats for which she had handed over HK$735,000 in 2012 had been sold to someone else. She called police after Wong failed to keep her promise to repay her in full and her cheque for HK$600,000 bounced back. At the same time, Wong had been luring her acquaintance, To Wai-kwong, to buy the same flats since September 2010. They signed multiple agreements, but each time Wong delayed the transaction while demanding extra deposits. She would claim the flats were not ready or that she needed money. At other times she would say a relative was ill. When To appeared unwilling proceed, Wong threatened to forfeit all deposits. But then she tried to cheat him further by claiming she would double the refund deposit if the transaction was cancelled. She gave him post-dated cheques, but these also bounced as her bank account had already been cancelled. Over the course of 22 months, Wong demanded deposits on 14 occasions and took HK$1.98 million from To alone. Wong pleaded not guilty last month to three counts of evasion of liability by deception. Judge Sham Siu-man found after trial that she had knowingly written cheques she knew could not be cashed in order to delay her responsibility to compensate the buyers. “The defendant gave the court the impression of being a rather cunning person. Her behaviour was no doubt one of a fraud,” he said. “She had never thought of selling the flats.” Wong will be sentenced on Tuesday. The offence is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, but the District Court can only impose a maximum jail term of seven years.

2016-11-25 09:41 Jasmine Siu www.scmp.com

19 /33 19 /33 0.5 China releases Mad Max rip-off movie titled Mad Sheila It was the post-apocalyptic action adventure film that scooped up numerous Oscars and was praised by the critics. But after failing to secure a release in China, film makers there have produced their own Mad Max-style film titled 'Mad Sheila'. The new movie's poster appears to be a rip off of the original Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. The film's trailer also shows how scenes clearly resemble the Hollywood version, showing desert wastelands and high speed car chases set to loud rock music. But with the Chinese version appearing to have a much smaller budget, it cannot boast the same special effects as the original. Beijing-based New Film Media, the studio behind the film, will release the movie today via an online streaming service. And according to CNN , Mad Sheila director Lu Lei wrote on Chinese social media site Weibo: 'Mad Max is the biggest winner at this year's Oscars. Our Mad Sheila salutes!' New Film Media are yet to comment on the nature of the Mad Sheila film. Earlier this year, Walt Disney took three Chinese film companies to court over concerns the film 'The Autobots' was a rip-off of hit movie 'Cars'. 'The Autobots' drew ire in China when it was released last year, with some pointing out similarities with Disney's 2006 film 'Cars' starring Owen Wilson and its sequel in 2011. It comes as the Chinese billionaire who bought the AMC theater chain and Legendary Pictures - home of The Dark Knight and Jurassic World - is now looking to get his fingers into Hollywood's biggest studios. Over the past 28 years Wang Jianlin, 62, has transformed a debt-ridden Chinese real- estate company into the 44.7billion-revenue conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, which has been hungrily snapping up US businesses. And now Wang has turned his eyes on Hollywood, with an ambitious plan to work his way into all six major studios.

2016-11-25 09:34 Jennifer Newton www.dailymail.co.uk

20 /33 0.7 Hollywood's golden age in China is coming to an end Hollywood studios have been coming to grips with the fact that China will soon be the world’s largest market for entertainment. Movies increasingly are co-produced by cash-rich Chinese moguls. Chinese stars are cast in supporting roles. Praise for Chinese culture is being randomly stuck into scripts. In some cases, such ploys have paid off: 2015’s “Furious 7” grossed even more in China ($390 million) than in the United States ($353 million).

But Hollywood’s success in China is going to increasingly come under assault by rising Chinese competitors. The number of films made by Chinese studios is soaring: In 2005, 43 Chinese films were screened in mainland China. By 2014, it was 308 films. Hollywood imports are only around 10% of releases — but so far have retained their position at the top of the box office. Over the last six years, the top 25 films in China by revenue have usually included eight to 10 foreign films. But even the success of big blockbusters is precarious. This scenario has played out over and over in other industries. Foreign companies do well at the top of the market, typically because they start out having superior quality, technology or brand recognition. Local Chinese competitors do well in the middle and lower segments, typically by focusing on lower cost, greater localization and faster turnarounds.

But over time, the Chinese competitors grow and steadily improve their quality. They reinvest, make acquisitions and begin to attack the top of the market. This strategy has usually been devastating for foreign companies living at the top of the market in China, including smartphones, Internet companies, real estate, renewable energy, medical equipment and investment banking.

For Hollywood, there’s also a second threat: The emergence of a massive Chinese creative class that is transforming the production of film and television. In 2009, about 5% of the 19 million students in Chinese universities were studying arts and design — more than were majoring in economics, chemistry, math or law. As a result, a wave of low-cost artists, animators, video game designers and other creative professionals have surged into the Chinese workforce. An even bigger damper on Hollywood’s future could come from the uniquely powerful role of Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent. These three Internet giants control over 50% of all Chinese smartphone Internet usage. Their apps and services are how Chinese consumers search, shop, chat, play games, watch videos, book their taxis, and pay for almost everything. And these three cash-rich companies are aggressively moving into movies and television.

Tencent has launched its own film subsidiary, Penguin Pictures. One of Tencent’s earlier investments, “Monster Hunt,” was the top-grossing film in China in 2015. Alibaba Pictures has launched a Netflix-type subscription service and invested in movie ticketing software. It co- financed “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” and has crowd-sourced other film investments. Finally, there is Baidu, which has a streaming platform called iQiyi. It also crowdfunds films, and has invested in Hong Kong’s SMI Holdings Group, which has film and TV production studios.

All of these moves should worry Hollywood studios, most of which are poorly positioned for an increasingly competitive Chinese market. Studios have remained largely foreign and haven’t moved any operations to the mainland. They likely will find it harder and harder to make movies that culturally resonate with rapidly changing Chinese consumers.

Oriental DreamWorks in Shanghai represents a better approach. ODW has a staff of 250, including a creative team of about 150 artists and animators, more than 90% of whom are native Chinese. Led by veteran executive Peilin Chou, the development team is roughly 50% native Chinese and 50% Asian Americans with Hollywood experience. Their approach, according to Chou, “is developing and producing globally successful world-class films, that have hyper- appeal in China. We believe our unique hybrid creative development staff, along with our relationship with DreamWorks U. S., makes us uniquely advantaged and positioned to do that.”

How fast can things change? Consider that in 2008 over 80% of all smartphones sold in China were made by international companies such as Nokia, Motorola and Apple. Today, Apple and Samsung, the only two foreign smartphone companies still kicking in China, have only about 15% of the market between them. The remaining 85% belongs to local competitors such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Huawei.

Hollywood will face the same type of ruthless competition in the next five years. Its golden age in China, defined by wealthy moviegoers but still weak competitors, is coming to an end. It’s all going to get much more difficult.

While movies such as 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” have done incredibly well in China, this year’s biggest hit ($526 million gross) was actually “The Mermaid,” a comedy about an assassin mermaid who falls in love with the corrupt real estate developer she’s supposed to kill. It is a very Chinese movie — and one that neverwould have been made in Los Angeles.

Iraqi doctors work round the clock in hospitals outside of Mosul, Chinese students are flocking to U. S. high schools, about 7 million working-age men don’t have a job and aren’t looking for one, Trump the president vs. Trump the businessman, Kanye West was hospitalized Monday for stress and exhaustion after a bizarre week, New York City has seen a surge of swastika vandalism, and how to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers.

How to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers, expert tips on how to survive, and hopefully enjoy your dinner this Thanksgiving when politics comes up, why some stores are staying closed this Thanksgiving, and traveling tips.

New York sees a surge of swastika vandalism since the election, scientists say they've found a way to give you a little extra warning before an earthquake strikes , the West Nile virus is spreading and in some cases the symptoms are dire, and one of Donald Trump's firsts tasks will be nominating a judge to replace Supreme Court justice Scalia .

Three men who were found shot to death in a shed in a Compton park appear to have been squatters, sheriff’s homicide detectives said Wednesday.

Vin Scully was one of many to receive the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom

Vin Scully was one of many to receive the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom

2016-11-25 09:00 Jeffrey Towson www.latimes.com

21 /33 0.9 Shocking CCTV footage shows Indian nursery worker beating a baby This is the shocking moment a carer at a nursery slapped and kicked a 9-month-old baby so hard she fractured her skull and caused internal bleeding. Footage from the nursery's own CCTV camera caught the carer, Afsana Shaikh, red handed as she delivered the beating during naptime at the day care in Kharghar, in Maharashtra State, Western India. She can be seen twice hurling the baby onto a mat before delivering a series of blows. It was only the first day that baby Ritisha, at attended the centre after her parents decided to place her there while they worked. But when the mother came to pick Ritisha up on the evening of her first day at the new nursery, she saw a bruise on her face. Her father, Rajat, said: 'Ritisha was fast asleep but there was a bruise under her eye. When my wife asked about it, the centre owner said she had hit herself while playing. 'Initially, we thought that Ritisha may have been stressed because it was her first day, and we believed the caretaker. But at home, she was crying continuously and refused to eat anything.' The couple soon discovered more bruises on her back including behind her ear. And then parents saw that Rishita had developed a fever and started vomiting. They took her to a doctor the next day and a hospital CT scan later revealed that she had a small fracture at the back of her skull, which had led to internal bleeding. The parents of little Ritisha - who admitted her to the nearby Fortis Hospital under observation - were told by medics that she had most likely got those wounds because she was beaten. The furious parents then went to the day care centre and demanded to see the CCTV footage, but the owner of the nursery, Priyanka Nikam, told them they needed to file a police complaint first. Kharghar police station officers were notified and the cops checked the CCTV footage before arresting both the carer and the centre's owner, named as Priyanka Nikam in reports. Her mother, Ruchita, said: 'We could not believe our eyes while watching the CCTV footage.' The father said: 'It was inhuman. The carer was manhandling my daughter - hitting her with toys and throwing her on the mat. We just saw what she did to my baby, who knows how she is treating the other kids at the centre.' According to the latest reports, the owner has been released on bail while the carer remains in custody facing charges over the incident.

2016-11-25 08:45 Paddy Dinham www.dailymail.co.uk

22 /33 0.0 Xiaomi says shrinking smartphone sales won’t hit the company Sharp drops in smartphone sales for China’s Xiaomi Inc will not have a major impact on the company as profit growth will be driven by sales from smart home devices as well as revenue from its software eco- system, a senior executive said.

Xiaomi was valued at $46 billion in its last fund- raising in 2014 – making it briefly the world’s most valuable start-up at a time when it was China’s best-selling smartphone maker and looked set to make a splash worldwide.

But last year it missed its global smartphone targets by 12 percent, while its third-quarter China smartphone sales have tumbled 45 percent, according to research firm IDC – raising doubts that the valuation is still warranted.

Xiaomi’s global vice-president Hugo Barra said the company’s business model was not based on money made from handset sales per se and that it did not need to raise more funds or see any point in doing so at a valuation of less than $46 billion.

“Basically we’re giving [handsets] to you without making any money… we care about the recurring revenue streams over many years,” he told Reuters in an interview.

“We could sell 10 billion smartphones and we wouldn’t make a single dime in profits,” he added. Xiaomi, which discloses little of its profit and revenue figures, has increasingly emphasized its range of home appliances such as air and water purifiers, and rice cookers as key earnings drivers.

In April, Xiaomi Vice President Liu De said the firm expects sales of smart home devices to double to 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) this year.

The company has invested heavily in India and Southeast Asia and is making its first forays into the U. S. market – launching next month its first device capable of roaming on the country’s 4G networks.

Barra said they are first targeting Chinese users traveling in the U. S., but are laying the groundwork for direct sales to U. S. consumers.

In January, Xiaomi will also make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, launching a new product during the event, he said.

Xiaomi’s tentative first steps in the U. S. smartphone market come as cash-strapped rival LeEco faces a crippling shortage of funds, which were revealed in a public letter by CEO Jia Yueting months after the company launched its first flagship phones in the United States.

“There’s no pressing need to do an IPO or even a private round,” said Barra brushing off concerns that Xiaomi could face a similar funding shortage. “We are not a flash in someone’s PR pan.”

(Reporting by Catherine Cadell; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

2016-11-25 14:53 Reuters feedproxy.google.com

23 /33 3.2 Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock trading link to launch Dec. 5 By Michelle Price HONG KONG, Nov 25 (Reuters) - A long-awaited stock trading link between the Hong Kong and Shenzhen exchanges will go live on Dec. 5, regulators said on Friday, further opening up China's capital markets to global investors and giving them access to some of its fastest-growing companies. The launch will extend an existing trading link between Hong Kong and Shanghai, allowing foreign investors to trade Shenzhen stocks, one of the world's busiest and most tech- focused exchanges, from Hong Kong. Domestic Chinese investors, meanwhile, will be able to trade an expanded range of Hong Kong stocks via the Shenzhen and Shanghai exchanges. "The necessary trading and clearing rules and other relevant rules, the daily quota mechanism and other regulatory and operational arrangements have been finalised," the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission said in a statement. "The stock exchanges and the clearing houses have completed a series of market rehearsals with participants in both markets and reported that systems are ready. Trading will commence on 5 December 2016. " The regulators said they had also a memorandum of understanding on regulatory and enforcement cooperation for the cross-border trading link. The Shenzhen Connect scheme had been expected to go live more than a year ago, but was put on hold by last year's market crash, which saw stocks slump around 40 percent and a raft of interventionist measures unleashed to prop up markets. China announced the launch of the scheme in August. With more than 1,800 listed companies that have a combined market capitalization of $3.3 trillion, the Shenzhen stock market is viewed by analysts and fund managers as a major long- term investment opportunity - although sky high valuations and wild swings in Chinese stocks are likely to make some investors wary initially. "I don't think it is going to be meaningful in the short term in terms of price moves, but I do think that in terms of capital market reforms it is very positive," Belinda Boa, Head of Active Investments for Asia Pacific at BlackRock, told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "The opportunity in terms of what you can invest in is now much bigger than with Shanghai. " The extension of the link to Shenzhen will also see an aggregate quota cap on investment in both directions across the border scrapped, and a new raft of smaller Hong Kong stocks available to domestic Chinese investors. The rule changes are expected to lead to dramatic inflows into Hong Kong, as domestic investors seek ways to diversify their assets out of a weakening yuan. "We believe this new link could be a re-rating catalyst for small-cap stocks in Hong Kong," portfolio managers at Matthews Asia wrote in a note on Friday. (Reporting by Michelle Price; Editing by Mark Potter)

2016-11-25 08:29 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

24 /33 0.9 Big machines, small signs of recovery in China China's construction equipment sector hums back to life after five years of falling sales. Reuters' Brenda Goh talked to vendors at the Bauma Trade Fair in Shanghai. She says there's a sense of new optimism following a boom in housing, mining, and infrastructure.

2016-11-25 08:21 system article.wn.com

25 /33 25 /33 2.3 Yum China in $200 million talks with delivery giant Fresh off a spin-off from the U. S. powerhouse behind KFC and Pizza hut, sources tell Reuters Yum China is in talks to buy Daojia.com.cn, a Chinese food delivery service with 3,000 employees, serving more than 6,000 restaurants. Engen Tham explains the true value of such a deal.

2016-11-25 08:21 system article.wn.com

26 /33 0.0 Squeezy does it! Contortionist weaves herself through tight obstacle course in breathtaking feat of flexibility A Chinese acrobat stunned judges on a talent show when she contorted herself through tight plastic boxes and down ladders headfirst in an amazing feat of flexibility. Sun Fei, from Liaoning Province in China, folded her body to weave it through an obstacle course in China Central Television's 'Impossible Challenge'. The 28-year-old completed the breath taking feat of flexibility in about 10 minutes, and brought the audience to their feet for a standing ovation when she was done. In one of the most impressive parts of her routine, close to the end, the 28-year-old weaves down a ladder head first. She places her hands on one of the ladder's rungs and then drops her head through it, allowing her body to weave down. At one point, Sun has to push her hair over the rung to stop herself getting stuck in the ladder. With the audience cheering her on and the judges holding their breath, she makes it all the way down, but the ladder is not the final challenge. She must slide down into a tight chamber at the bottom and use her arms and legs, splayed out to move across the floor. Then she pulls herself out at an angle to finish the course and hear the cheering crowds. The video was shared on China Central Television's Facebook page and has been viewed 225,000 times. Asaju Usman said: 'I don't want hear about great Houdini again she's a million times better.'

2016-11-25 07:43 Rebecca Taylor www.dailymail.co.uk

27 /33 2.6 ‘Comrades: Almost A Love Story’ to be Remade as Korean Series Peter Chan Ho-sun’s classic Hong Kong tale “ Comrades: Almost A Love Story ,” is to be remade as a 20-part Korean TV series. The show is to be produced by Studio LYD.

Chan’s 1996 tale of two mainland Chinese trying to make a life in Hong Kong just prior to the territory’s handover from the U. K. former colonial power, is likely to be reframed as a North Korean or Chinese-Korean man who is taken under the wing of an ambitious woman in Seoul.

Studio LYD was formed by Joon Lee , former head of North Asia and head of original production for Mainland China for FOX Network Group, J. S. Kim, former CEO of CJ Entertainment and former president of KT Media Hub and Park Hyung Jun (“A Better Tomorrow” remake.)

“I’m very excited to be able to take one of Asia’s top melodramas and express it into a Korean drama. This is a story that I’m very passionate about and we plan to bring in one of Korea’s top writers to start on the project,” said Park.

Studio LYD is also developing the Korean remake of the Chinese hit web series, Go Princess Go with China’s LeTV and FOX Network Group.

2016-11-25 06:57 Patrick Frater variety.com

28 /33 1.7 South Africa CCTV shows police officers RUN AWAY from armed robbery This is the extraordinary moment two police officers run away from an armed robbery. The footage shows two officers speaking with a group of people at what is thought to be a bar. As those they are speaking with start to fight, the two cops back away and hold their hands up defensively. The embarrassment only gets worse for them when the pair part ways to allow the three people through them as they run out. One officer disappears off screen and appears to be hiding around the back of some crates to the right of the screen. They are no where to be seen when a man comes into shot pointing a gun as a woman clings to his arm. While the three can be seen fighting on the floor through a narrow doorway, the police take the opportunity to come out of hiding and run away. After the people are hurled out of the bar, a woman is seen crying and screaming before the argument continues off camera. As a man checks his leg for a wound, another appears behind him holding a small child. The video was shared online on the Crime Intelligence and Community Awareness page and has been viewed 20,000 times. 2016-11-25 06:53 Rebecca Taylor www.dailymail.co.uk

29 /33 2.1 China orders banks to stop issuing dual-currency credit cards to stem capital flight The People’s Bank of China has ordered the country’s banks to stop issuing credit cards that allow customers to transact purchases in dual currencies, in the latest move to plug regulatory gaps and stem capital flight while the renminbi continues to sink to an eight-year low. Credit cards issued in China with Visa or Mastercard must be replaced with those issued by the country’s dominant currency clearing company China UnionPay Co when they expire, according to a November 23 report in the Communist Party’s mouthpiece newspaper, citing a recent undated meeting called by the central bank with Chinese lenders. Existing cards that offer dual-currency services can continue until their expiry, the newspaper said. Under new regulations, credit cards can be issued for either yuan-denominated transactions, or enabled for purchases in hard currency, carrying UnionPay’s logo. Visa and Mastercard must apply separately to commence credit card businesses in China. “These moves appear to be part of the continuing clamp down on capital outflows,” said Keith Pogson, a partner in EY’s financial services practice in Hong Kong. Dual currency services have been a feature among the credit cards issued by the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, Pudong Development Bank, China Merchants Bank and scores of other mainland-based lenders for at least 14 years. The service enable Chinese consumers to shop overseas, using the worldwide network and currency clearing services operated by Visa and Mastercard, while UnionPay nurses its nascent service within mainland China. As UnionPay grows in size, and expands outside China’s shores to make the renminbi accessible and usable, the second logo on the credit card becomes expendable. The change has become more urgent this year, as the renminbi has weakened by more than 6 per cent against the US Dollar to the lowest in eight years. As much as US$728 billion worth of capital has left China so far this year, according to the French bank Natixis’ Capital Flow Tracker data, with US$246 billion in outflows in the third quarter. The third quarter also saw a large increase in the amount of yuan- denominated outflows, which made 36 per cent of the total outflows in September, according to Natixis. To stem the prospect of a capital flight, China’s currency regulator and the central bank took action. In October, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the currency regulator, imposed a ban on UnionPay’s use for buying insurance and “investment-related products” in Hong Kong. “The authorities are just moving through, looking for all different loopholes that allow individuals to transfer large sums of money overseas,” said Pogson. China’s credit card market is currently going through a period of transition. The People’s Bank of China published rules in June to allow foreign payment card companies to operate on the mainland. Mastercard’s president of international markets Ann Cairns told Reuters in July that the company was hoping to enter China as soon as possible. Chinese bank card transactions reached 55 trillion yuan (US$7.9 trillion) last year, according to the People’s Bank of China. The latest rule gives the home-grown UnionPay a leg up, as it prepares for competition with the foreign brands before they commence service in China. “The idea is to get rid of dual-brand cards before Visa and Mastercard launch their independent operations,” said Denis Suslov, an analyst at Shanghai-based financial industry consultancy Kapronasia. “These new regulations help UnionPay better position itself before the market opens to foreign competition.” A spokesperson for Visa declined to comment to inquiries from the about the new regulations while Mastercard did not respond to a request for comment. Additional reporting by Daniel Ren, Maggie Zhang and He Huifeng.

2016-11-25 06:47 Alun John www.scmp.com

30 /33 0.0 A Housing Frenzy Bedevils Beijing BEIJING—When a rumor spread in June 2015 that the Beijing city government would move most of its offices—potentially 400,000 workers —to the sleepy suburb of Tongzhou, property sales there doubled within weeks.

Authorities confirmed the rumor a month later and quickly moved to arrest the frenzy, limiting sales to first-time buyers and longtime...

2016-11-25 06:43 Dominique Fong www.wsj.com

31 /33 1.4 Chinese City Changsha Vows to Keep Home Prices from Rising This Month China ‘s inland city of Changsha has pledged home prices will not rise in November from a month ago, as more local governments try to rein in surging property markets.

The city’s government will implement seven broad measures to curb speculative buying, including “strict inspection” of home prices, “strict supervision” of capital flowing into the market and “strict control” of pre-sale transactions, according to a statement on its website on Friday.

The government said it has made specific work plans, without elaborating. Home prices in Changsha, the capital city of southern Hunan province, had been one of the lowest among central provincial capitals due to ample land supply, a more leisurely economy and subdued local demand.

But prices have jumped in recent months as property speculators flocked to Changsha seeking investment opportunities as the country’s top housing markets showed signed of overheating.

New home prices in Changsha rose 4.4% in October from a month earlier, while year-on-year growth jumped to 16.5%, both outpacing nationwide averages, official data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

Prices in China ‘s biggest cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen have climbed by around 30% from a year earlier, raising worries about potential property bubbles.

2016-11-25 06:17 Reuters fortune.com

32 /33 2.9 Olympics-China plans skiing, skating drive for 2022 Winter Games SHANGHAI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - China wants to get 300 million citizens involved in winter sports by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and plans to encourage them by building more than 500 ice skating rinks and 240 ski slopes over the next six years, the government said. The country's top economic planner said on Friday that the number and scale of China's current facilities did not match its winter sports development targets. "At the moment... there is a large gap with other developed countries with winter sports," the National Development and Reform Commission said in a document signed by other government bodies including the finance and sports ministries. Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics to widespread acclaim, but its bid for the Winter Games was dogged by concerns over issues ranging from the city's notorious smog problem to a lack of snow - and the country's poor record on human rights. The government has since vowed to use the staging of the 2022 event to drive pollution clean-up efforts to keep a close eye on large-scale construction projects. The NDRC did not disclose how much it planned to spend on the drive, but said it would use a mix of government and private funding and was open to support from financial institutions. It said the effort would be led by the integrated mega city of Beijing, along with Tianjin and Hebei provinces. Beijing and the city of Zhangjiakou won the right last year to host the Winter Games. Cities with a population of more than 500,000 people will be encouraged to build public ice skating rinks and the government is also looking to construct rinks on suitable rivers and lakes. ($1 = 6.9144 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Brenda Goh, editing by Ed Osmond)

2016-11-25 06:10 Reuters www.dailymail.co.uk

33 /33 2.7 Hong Kong leader appoints two new cabinet members just four months from leadership race Hong Kong’s leader has appointed two pro-establishment lawmakers to his cabinet, four months before the city’s leadership race next March in what is seen as a bid to consolidate the government’s political support base and improve frayed ties between the executive and the legislature. The move has also intensified speculation that he is laying the groundwork to seek a second term. In a statement issued at 4pm on Friday, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced the appointment of Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan and Martin Liao Cheung-kong, convenor of the pro- establishment camp in the Legislative Council, as non-official members of the Executive Council. The Liberal Party’s former leader and lawmaker James Tien Pei-chun has been a stanch critic of Leung and publicly suggested his party would support “ABC” - “anyone but CY [Leung]” to govern Hong Kong in the next five years. Cheung’s appointment is seen as Leung’s attempt to show his capability to forge a broad-based alliance with pro-establishment groups, including the once belligerent Liberal Party. Cheung said he was honoured to accept the appointment, saying he had not informed Tien of his appointment because “usually we are not allowed to discuss this with others”. “ABC is only the stance of individual party members,” Cheung added. “The Liberal Party will work with the government on issues that we care about, such as improving the business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises.” He dismissed suggestions the appointment was linked to Leung going for re-election and declined to answer whether he would support any such bid, saying it was a hypothetical question. Tien lost his seat in the Legco elections in September, and a month later, the party elected Felix Chung Kwok-pan and Cheung to be the party’s leader and chairman respectively. Cheung has previously said “ABC was only individual party members’ view, and was never part of the Liberals’ manifesto.” Cheung becomes the first Liberal Party member appointed to Exco, since Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee quit after losing in the 2008 Legco elections. James Tien, now honorary chairman of the Liberal Party said Cheung had not informed him and other party leaders about his appointment in advance. “What he did is very inappropriate and I don’t think he can represent our party’s views in Exco,” Tien said, “Cheung should resign as party chairman.” In the statement, Leung did not explain why he was expanding his cabinet towards the end of his five-year term. He only said: “Mr Cheung and Mr Liao have rich experience in the Legislative Council and public service, and have made significant contributions to their respective sectors. I am confident that they will offer valuable advice and effectively fulfil the role of assisting policymaking after joining Exco.” With the addition of the duo, Exco’s non-official members will increase to 16 and include representatives from all major pro-establishment groups in the legislature. Lawmakers Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee of the New People’s Party, and Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung of the Business and Professionals Alliance are also executive councillors. Legco’s biggest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, is represented by former legislator Ip Kwok-him. Federation of Trade Unions’ honorary chairman Cheng Yiu-tong is also an executive councillor.

2016-11-25 06:07 Tony Cheung www.scmp.com

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Created at 2016-11-25 18:28