South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world and its population is expected to halve by 2100, Japan recorded a record-low 800,000 births in 2022, and last year the Hong Kong government announced they would hand out HK$20,000 (£2,010) for each newborn in a bid to tackle the city’s low birth rate. BBC
However, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal in January found the system was still “porous”, with data being unofficially shared between TikTok in the US and ByteDance in China. High-profile cases, including one incident where ByteDance employees in China accessed a journalist’s data to track down their sources, have stoked concerns. BBC
At least two people have died and more than 20 injured after an explosion ripped through a fried chicken shop in China’s Hebei province. State reports say a gas leak may have caused the blast in Sanhe, about an hour’s drive from the Chinese capital Beijing. Videos circulating online showed large plumes of smoke and debris scattered in the street, with nearby buildings and cars also suffering damage. BBC
The dimming of the spotlight on the premier, along with a shorter congress this year, are all signs of ongoing structural change within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) where President Xi Jinping is increasingly accumulating power at the expense of other individuals and institutions, noted Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore who studies Chinese governance. BBC
The dimming of the spotlight on the premier, along with a shorter congress this year, are all signs of ongoing structural change within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) where President Xi Jinping is increasingly accumulating power at the expense of other individuals and institutions, noted Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore who studies Chinese governance. BBC
Meanwhile, he is said to have spent several months in China working for Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology – a start-up tech company that approached him. The indictment says he was offered $14,800 (£11,620) per month to be the company’s Chief Technology Officer. BBC
With Super Tuesday under way, the US appears to be moving ever closer to another showdown between Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the presidency. Meanwhile across the Pacific, the world’s other superpower is holding its own mass political event, providing a rare opportunity to speak to those who run the country. So who do China’s delegates to the National People’s Congress want to win the US election? Trump or Biden? Our Correspondent Stephen McDonell entered the Great Hall of the People and did his best to try to find…
He added that, while this is a “quite interesting catchphrase”, it is going to take time for these types of industries to take off, partly because “these sectors of China’s economy are relatively small”, and “the problem is that China faces some serious challenges, thanks to an underperforming economy”. BBC
Just last year, Messi received a rock star welcome in Beijing when he played for his country in a friendly against Australia. Some 68,000 fans paid up to $680 for the chance to see him in action. He is also a spokesperson for big Chinese brands such as Huawei, Chery, Tencent, Mengniu, Chishui River Wine and J&T Express. BBC
Ben Hunt, equity retail analyst at Investec, said the interest in Currys reflected the fact that while “the news isn’t getting any worse” for many struggling retailers at the moment, with price rises easing and real incomes now improving, share prices remain low in the sector and do not reflect the potential for recovery. BBC