China: Daily Scan, December 28, 2021

China releases shortened negative lists for foreign investment: Xinhuanet

December 27, 2021

China on Monday unveiled two shortened negative lists for foreign investment, as part of efforts to further open up the economy and promote high-quality economic development.
The number of items that are off-limits for foreign investors will be cut to 31 in the 2021 version of the negative list from 33 in the 2020 version, according to a statement jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce. Click here to read... [2]

Mega water diversion project benefits Beijing: Xinhuanet

December 27, 2021

A mega water diversion project has so far benefited more than 13 million residents in Beijing, the local water authority said Monday.The South-to-North Water Diversion Project has transferred over 7.3 billion cubic meters of water from major rivers in the south of the country to the nation's capital over the past seven years, according to the Beijing Water Authority. Click here to read... [3]

Military exercises to be held in Bohai Strait, Yellow Sea for two weeks: China Military

December 27, 2021

According to a notice released by China’s Dalian Maritime Safety Administration, military exercises will be performed in waters of Bohai Strait and north Yellow Sea from December 26, 2021 to January 9, 2022. Click here to read... [4]

Historical roots strengthen China's plan for future: China Military

December 27, 2021

There is no greater guide for the path we find ourselves on today than the road which we have already traveled. While China has increasingly become synonymous with innovation and a future-oriented outlook, the momentous milestones reached in 2021 had a single underlying theme of an entirely different nature -- history. Click here to read... [5]

China reports highest number of daily COVID cases in 20 months: Global Times

December 27, 2021

China reported 200 COVID-19 cases on Monday, with 162 domestic transmissions, the largest daily increases in almost 20 months. With concerns increasing over whether China can effectively put this round of flare-ups under control before the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, especially as the Omicron variant is causing havoc globally, analysts said that China's dynamic zero policy and previous experience in quelling domestic outbreaks will help curb the current epidemic, and the closed-loop management of the Beijing Olympics will ensure the safety of the sports event.Click here to read... [6]

Foreign investment banned in rare-earth sector, new negative lists show: Global Times

December 27, 2021

China's newly released negative lists of sectors off-limits to foreign direct investment showed on Monday that overseas investors are prohibited from investing in rare-earth mining projects. Experts said that the move aims to protect and optimize domestic rare-earth resources, which are essential for many key technologies, while improving the core value of the industry chain. Click here to read... [7]

China drafts rules to tighten management of company registrations: Reuters

December 27, 2021

China's central bank and market regulator issued draft rules on Monday requiring companies to improve the management of their registration information, with any deferred registration filings likely to be subject to the rules. The proposals aim to improve transparency and strengthen the enforcement of anti-money laundering laws, the two regulators said in a joint-statement on their websites. Click here to read... [8]

Hong Kong Apple Daily founder and staff face new sedition charge: Reuters

December 28, 2021

Hong Kong prosecutors on Tuesday filed a "seditious publications" charge against jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai who already faces charges under a tough national security law that critics say has stifled freedoms in the Asian financial hub. Lai, 74, the founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, appeared in court alongside six other former Apple Daily staff. The daily tabloid closed in June after authorities raided the newspaper, arrested staff on national security grounds and froze assets. Click here to read... [9]

Nimble Chinese satellite grabs hi-res images of US city in seconds say researchers: South China Morning Post

December 28, 2021

In just 42 seconds, a small Chinese satellite captured images of a large area around a US city that would be sharp enough to identify a military vehicle on the street and tell what type of weapon it might be carrying, say scientists reporting on the breakthrough. Beijing-3, a small one-tonne commercial satellite launched by China in June performed an in-depth scan of the core area of the San Francisco Bay (3,800 square kilometres or 1,470 square miles), according to scientists involved in the project. Click here to read... [10]

Shenzhen party boss takes over as acting governor of Guangdong province: South China Morning Post

December 27, 2021

The Communist Party chief of Chinese tech hub Shenzhen has been promoted to acting governor of Guangdong, the province’s legislature announced on Monday. Wang Weizhong, 59, takes over from Ma Xingrui. Ma was named as the new party secretary of the far western Xinjiang region on Saturday, replacing Chen Quanguo, according to state media.
Already an alternate member of the party’s policymaking Central Committee, the promotion is likely to pave the way for Wang to become a full member at next year’s national congress – a twice-a-decade event that is expected to usher in major leadership changes. Click here to read... [11]