Month: August 2023

China’s Communist Party has co-opted ancient music

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At a church in the heart of London the soft tinkle of a guqin, or ancient zither, rings out. The audience at the London International Chinese Music festival (pictured) is told that the sound of this seven-stringed instrument will transport them back in time and bring them joy and peace. Mastery of the guqin, which dates back 3,000 years, was once considered a must for the elite in imperial China. Even Confucius played it. These days the Communist Party is hoping the guqin and other traditional instruments will also bring…

China has embraced pets, but animal welfare is still a problem

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Mao Zedong may have regarded them as a bourgeois luxury, but pets are on the rise in China. Around 116m cats and dogs share a home with humans in Chinese cities. It is not always clear who is holding the leash. At a recent pet fair in Shanghai items for sale included a spa machine for cats and ball gowns for dogs. Analysts say young people are increasingly choosing “fur babies” over children. China’s pet industry grew by 25% last year. Care for these four-legged friends is being displayed in…

China vows tit-for-tat visa curbs on US officials who ‘meddle’ in Tibet

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China will impose tit-for-tat sanctions on US personnel in retaliation for Washington’s recent visa curbs on Chinese officials over Beijing’s alleged “forced assimilation” policy in Tibet, China’s foreign ministry said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin confirmed on Thursday that China would impose “reciprocal visa restrictions” on US personnel involved in the “forced assimilation” accusation and those who had “meddled in Tibet-related issues for a long time”. Beijing’s salvo came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new visa restrictions against Chinese officials last week for their suspected involvement…

Baidu, SenseTime open AI chatbots to the public after China grants first approvals for such services

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China has granted its first batch of approvals for generative artificial intelligence (AI) services, giving technology firms including search giant Baidu and AI specialist SenseTime the green light to offer ChatGPT-like chatbots to the public. Those two companies – along with Zhipu AI, a state-backed start-up, and Baichuan, a new venture by Sogou co-founder Wang Xiaochuan that is backed by Tencent Holdings – issued separate statements early on Thursday, announcing the removals of the “invite-only” or “beta testing” labels that had been attached to their AI chatbots. Baidu’s internet search…

US-China trade: market sees clouds clearing for Boeing after Raimondo visit elevates hope of an order frenzy

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A bridge-building effort between Beijing and Washington this week to curb mutual commercial concerns has raised market hopes that Chinese airlines might order more American-made Boeing aircraft after shying away amid bilateral tensions in recent years. The expectations got a shot in the arm as US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo – who called Boeing an “iconic American company” and wrapped up her four-day China trip at the aircraft maker’s maintenance hangar in Shanghai on Wednesday – discussed “space commerce” with Vice-Premier He Lifeng while exploring possibilities for economic cooperation. Meanwhile,…

Foreign investors sell China shares at record pace in August

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Receive free Chinese business & finance updates We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Chinese business & finance news every morning. Foreign investors sold a record $12bn worth of Chinese stocks in August as piecemeal support measures from Beijing failed to assuage concerns over slowing growth in the world’s second-largest economy and a worsening crisis in the country’s property sector. The unprecedented outflows come as figures on Thursday showed China’s manufacturing sector contracted for a fifth consecutive month, despite pledges from leaders in late July…

Xi to skip G20 summit in India, western officials say

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What is included in my trial? During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your…

China tech: fear of falling behind forces censors to tolerate chatbots

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Receive free Chinese business & finance updates We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Chinese business & finance news every morning. In many parts of the world, companies with plentiful cash can buy market share whenever they like. In China, first movers enjoy a level of success even “me too” investment cannot overcome. That is what makes Thursday’s launch of China’s homemade versions of ChatGPT so important. Four Chinese tech firms have begun offering artificial intelligence chatbots to the public. They were the first to…

Improved Relations Won’t Signal Vietnam Alignment with US, Experts Say

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HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM —  When U.S. President Joe Biden visits Vietnam in early September, experts say Washington and Hanoi are likely to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership, an important step for bilateral relations. Experts add, however, that this should not be misinterpreted as Vietnam aligning with the United States. In Hanoi’s diplomatic hierarchy, a strategic partnership is the second tier, only surpassed by the highest-level designation – a comprehensive strategic partnership. The White House said August 8 that U.S. President Joe Biden would be coming to Hanoi…