Calling all smartphone seekers: China to subsidise personal devices, expand trade-in push
By Ji Siqi
China will subsidise consumers who purchase new smartphones this year, in the latest attempt to elevate the country’s sluggish domestic consumption as external uncertainties are set to mount.
The country’s nationwide consumer trade-in programme, funded by sovereign bonds, will be expanded to personal digital products, including smartphones and tablets, as well as smartwatches and bracelets, its top economic planner announced on Friday.
Yuan Da, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference that China will “significantly increase the scale of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds” to support the expansion of consumer goods trade-ins and industrial equipment upgrades in 2025.
The NRDC will optimise the allocation of funds by favouring areas with better results achieved in the trade-in programme last year, Yuan said.
It will also simplify the subsidy process to reduce the liquidity pressure on enterprises, while strengthening fund supervision, he added.
By the end of August, Beijing had disbursed 150 billion yuan (US$20.55 billion) to local governments to subsidise consumer purchases of home appliances and electric cars.
The move injected some energy into weak domestic consumption that has impeded China’s economic recovery, as a large share of household wealth has been trapped in the dwindling property and stock markets.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Ji Siqi
China will subsidise consumers who purchase new smartphones this year, in the latest attempt to elevate the country’s sluggish domestic consumption as external uncertainties are set to mount.
The country’s nationwide consumer trade-in programme, funded by sovereign bonds, will be expanded to personal digital products, including smartphones and tablets, as well as smartwatches and bracelets, its top economic planner announced on Friday.
Yuan Da, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference that China will “significantly increase the scale of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds” to support the expansion of consumer goods trade-ins and industrial equipment upgrades in 2025.
The NRDC will optimise the allocation of funds by favouring areas with better results achieved in the trade-in programme last year, Yuan said.
It will also simplify the subsidy process to reduce the liquidity pressure on enterprises, while strengthening fund supervision, he added.
By the end of August, Beijing had disbursed 150 billion yuan (US$20.55 billion) to local governments to subsidise consumer purchases of home appliances and electric cars.
The move injected some energy into weak domestic consumption that has impeded China’s economic recovery, as a large share of household wealth has been trapped in the dwindling property and stock markets.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
China steps up flight safety in wake of deadly Azerbaijani and South Korean plane crashes
By Hayley Wong
China’s civil aviation authority said it is improving runway safety and assessing risks in the wake of the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines and Jeju Air plane crashes.
Following the two accidents late last month, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) “immediately convened a special meeting to circulate information about the accidents and monitor the investigations”, CAAC safety director Shu Mingjiang said on Friday.
Shu added that the CAAC regularly assessed security risks for all flights, filed security reminders to airlines and adjusted flight routes and plans to ensure aviation safety.
Chinese authorities have confirmed there were no Chinese nationals on either flight and expressed condolences to the victims.
Since the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on December 25, several Chinese airline routes that previously flew across the southwestern portion of Russia’s airspace appear to be circumventing the area, as Azerbaijani authorities suspect the Russian air defence system was behind the tragedy.
The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed after being damaged in the airspace above Grozny in southwestern Russia. The plane attempted to land at Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan but failed, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Early reports said the crash was caused by a bird strike, but it was later speculated that Russian air defence missile blasts hit the plane and electronic warfare systems paralysed it.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Hayley Wong
China’s civil aviation authority said it is improving runway safety and assessing risks in the wake of the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines and Jeju Air plane crashes.
Following the two accidents late last month, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) “immediately convened a special meeting to circulate information about the accidents and monitor the investigations”, CAAC safety director Shu Mingjiang said on Friday.
Shu added that the CAAC regularly assessed security risks for all flights, filed security reminders to airlines and adjusted flight routes and plans to ensure aviation safety.
Chinese authorities have confirmed there were no Chinese nationals on either flight and expressed condolences to the victims.
Since the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on December 25, several Chinese airline routes that previously flew across the southwestern portion of Russia’s airspace appear to be circumventing the area, as Azerbaijani authorities suspect the Russian air defence system was behind the tragedy.
The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed after being damaged in the airspace above Grozny in southwestern Russia. The plane attempted to land at Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan but failed, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Early reports said the crash was caused by a bird strike, but it was later speculated that Russian air defence missile blasts hit the plane and electronic warfare systems paralysed it.
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US consensus on countering China will keep Quad relevant under Trump: experts
By Zhao Ziwen
Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to cast a cloud over the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), but Washington’s bipartisan consensus on countering China will ensure the grouping’s continuing importance, observers said.
The framework – between the US, Australia, Japan and India – which flourished during Joe Biden’s presidency, could be overshadowed by Trump’s policy focus in his second term but the Quad allies would remain close to Washington, one expert noted.
The Quad began as a loose partnership to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and was formalised in 2007 by then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
The grouping ceased in 2008 when Australia withdrew during Kevin Rudd’s tenure as prime minister. It was resurrected in Trump’s first term as a security grouping, in response to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific.
It became a pillar of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy under Biden, who turned the framework into a head-of-state level mechanism with an annual summit focusing on maritime security and freedom of navigation – with China as the elephant in the room.
On Tuesday, the US State Department published a joint statement with its Quad counterparts to mark the grouping’s 20th anniversary and reaffirming its vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and its support for regional stakeholders.
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By Zhao Ziwen
Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to cast a cloud over the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), but Washington’s bipartisan consensus on countering China will ensure the grouping’s continuing importance, observers said.
The framework – between the US, Australia, Japan and India – which flourished during Joe Biden’s presidency, could be overshadowed by Trump’s policy focus in his second term but the Quad allies would remain close to Washington, one expert noted.
The Quad began as a loose partnership to provide humanitarian and disaster assistance after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and was formalised in 2007 by then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
The grouping ceased in 2008 when Australia withdrew during Kevin Rudd’s tenure as prime minister. It was resurrected in Trump’s first term as a security grouping, in response to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific.
It became a pillar of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy under Biden, who turned the framework into a head-of-state level mechanism with an annual summit focusing on maritime security and freedom of navigation – with China as the elephant in the room.
On Tuesday, the US State Department published a joint statement with its Quad counterparts to mark the grouping’s 20th anniversary and reaffirming its vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and its support for regional stakeholders.
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In-flight thefts soar in Japan as passengers warned of high-altitude thieves
By Julian Ryall
Japanese airlines and travel industry analysts are warning passengers to take greater care of their valuables after a spate of in-flight thefts allegedly carried out by organised crime groups.
According to Chiba prefectural police, which covers Narita International Airport to the east of Tokyo, there were 19 such cases reported in the first 10 months of 2024, up from seven incidents in the same period the previous year.
In each case, victims reported being asleep on a flight into or out of the airport and later discovered items in their luggage placed in overhead storage units had gone missing.
In most cases, cash taken from wallets was replaced with less valuable banknotes from other countries, meaning that victims did not realise something was amiss until much later. This delaying tactic adds to suspicions that an organised crime group or groups might be targeting the flights, the Mainichi newspaper reported.
Chiba police said around 60 per cent of the victims were Japanese men who lost yen, dollars or credit cards from inside bags stowed in overhead bins. Losses averaged 410,000 yen (US$2,605), although one passenger told police that 2.07 yen million had gone missing.
It is believed that the thefts took place after cabin lights had been dimmed to allow passengers to sleep on long-haul flights, although cash has also gone missing aboard shorter flights to destinations in Asia.
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By Julian Ryall
Japanese airlines and travel industry analysts are warning passengers to take greater care of their valuables after a spate of in-flight thefts allegedly carried out by organised crime groups.
According to Chiba prefectural police, which covers Narita International Airport to the east of Tokyo, there were 19 such cases reported in the first 10 months of 2024, up from seven incidents in the same period the previous year.
In each case, victims reported being asleep on a flight into or out of the airport and later discovered items in their luggage placed in overhead storage units had gone missing.
In most cases, cash taken from wallets was replaced with less valuable banknotes from other countries, meaning that victims did not realise something was amiss until much later. This delaying tactic adds to suspicions that an organised crime group or groups might be targeting the flights, the Mainichi newspaper reported.
Chiba police said around 60 per cent of the victims were Japanese men who lost yen, dollars or credit cards from inside bags stowed in overhead bins. Losses averaged 410,000 yen (US$2,605), although one passenger told police that 2.07 yen million had gone missing.
It is believed that the thefts took place after cabin lights had been dimmed to allow passengers to sleep on long-haul flights, although cash has also gone missing aboard shorter flights to destinations in Asia.
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Malaysians outraged over suspected serial cat killer after ‘mutilated’ feline found
By Hadi Azmi
The furore over a suspected cat killer lurking on a campus in Kuala Lumpur intensified on Friday after the discovery of another “extensively mutilated” feline enraged animal lovers who have already rescued dozens of cats.
In the latest incident, the Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU) said a cat was found on Thursday outside the medicine faculty with its internal organs exposed.
Malaysia is a cat-loving nation where pet ownership has soared since the pandemic, largely influenced by its Muslim majority, who generally favour cats over dogs due to cultural and religious beliefs, including the Prophet Muhammad’s reputed fondness for the felines.
Animal rights activists and members of the public descended upon the campus on December 22 and rescued 22 cats, fearing they could be targeted next. Their intervention came after social media users shared disturbing images of the dead cats, some severely mutilated and with missing limbs.
UMSU faculty representative Jelyn Lyn said an orange-furred cat had an open wound with its intestines and right hind limb missing when it was found in a secluded corner outside the faculty.
The Royal Malaysian Police and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) have blamed the incidents on wild dogs but many Malaysians have doubts about the authorities’ assessment.
The surgical cuts seen on the cats, some of which had their whole legs cut off, have left animal defenders angry at the lack of action against a suspected cat killer stalking the capital’s largest campus.
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By Hadi Azmi
The furore over a suspected cat killer lurking on a campus in Kuala Lumpur intensified on Friday after the discovery of another “extensively mutilated” feline enraged animal lovers who have already rescued dozens of cats.
In the latest incident, the Universiti Malaya Student Union (UMSU) said a cat was found on Thursday outside the medicine faculty with its internal organs exposed.
Malaysia is a cat-loving nation where pet ownership has soared since the pandemic, largely influenced by its Muslim majority, who generally favour cats over dogs due to cultural and religious beliefs, including the Prophet Muhammad’s reputed fondness for the felines.
Animal rights activists and members of the public descended upon the campus on December 22 and rescued 22 cats, fearing they could be targeted next. Their intervention came after social media users shared disturbing images of the dead cats, some severely mutilated and with missing limbs.
UMSU faculty representative Jelyn Lyn said an orange-furred cat had an open wound with its intestines and right hind limb missing when it was found in a secluded corner outside the faculty.
The Royal Malaysian Police and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) have blamed the incidents on wild dogs but many Malaysians have doubts about the authorities’ assessment.
The surgical cuts seen on the cats, some of which had their whole legs cut off, have left animal defenders angry at the lack of action against a suspected cat killer stalking the capital’s largest campus.
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Can Hong Kong’s premium taxi fleet be launched as soon as March?
By Kahon Chan
Hong Kong’s first premium taxi fleet could launch as soon as March, according to the transport chief, but an industry representative said he was sceptical as financial, technical and manpower challenges could delay the start date.
The city government issued five taxi fleet licenses five months ago in an effort to improve the industry’s service quality, requiring winning bidders to launch services with vehicles accounting for about 40 per cent of the entire fleet by the end of July.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said in a newspaper interview published on Friday that the first premium fleet could be rolled out as early as March, without specifying which operators were ready.
The fleet operators would be able to fix fees that are higher than the regulated rate for ordinary taxis, but were also required to offer perks such as online bookings, electronic payment options and complaint handling mechanisms.
One of the operators, SynCab, founded in 2015 by Chung Shing Taxi, had initially said they could begin service last September. It later said some of its new six-seat cabs started operating as regular taxis last month and a mobile app for booking would be available in February.
Ng Kwan-sing, permanent president of the Taxi Dealers and Owners Association, told the Post that he was sceptical about the minister’s target, as he had learned that fleet operators were facing financing difficulties due to the mandate of using cabs that were three years or younger.
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By Kahon Chan
Hong Kong’s first premium taxi fleet could launch as soon as March, according to the transport chief, but an industry representative said he was sceptical as financial, technical and manpower challenges could delay the start date.
The city government issued five taxi fleet licenses five months ago in an effort to improve the industry’s service quality, requiring winning bidders to launch services with vehicles accounting for about 40 per cent of the entire fleet by the end of July.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said in a newspaper interview published on Friday that the first premium fleet could be rolled out as early as March, without specifying which operators were ready.
The fleet operators would be able to fix fees that are higher than the regulated rate for ordinary taxis, but were also required to offer perks such as online bookings, electronic payment options and complaint handling mechanisms.
One of the operators, SynCab, founded in 2015 by Chung Shing Taxi, had initially said they could begin service last September. It later said some of its new six-seat cabs started operating as regular taxis last month and a mobile app for booking would be available in February.
Ng Kwan-sing, permanent president of the Taxi Dealers and Owners Association, told the Post that he was sceptical about the minister’s target, as he had learned that fleet operators were facing financing difficulties due to the mandate of using cabs that were three years or younger.
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Israeli military says commandos raided missile factory in Syria in September
By Agencies
Israel’s military said its special forces had raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that it said was primed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use against Israel by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
The complex near Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast, was “the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region”, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters on Thursday.
“This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in their aerial attacks on Israel.”
He said the plant, dug into a mountainside, had been under observation by Israel since construction began in 2017 and was on the point of being able to manufacture precision-guided missiles, some with a range of up to 300km (190 miles).
“This ability was becoming active, so we’re talking about an immediate threat,” he said.
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By Agencies
Israel’s military said its special forces had raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that it said was primed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use against Israel by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
The complex near Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast, was “the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region”, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters on Thursday.
“This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in their aerial attacks on Israel.”
He said the plant, dug into a mountainside, had been under observation by Israel since construction began in 2017 and was on the point of being able to manufacture precision-guided missiles, some with a range of up to 300km (190 miles).
“This ability was becoming active, so we’re talking about an immediate threat,” he said.
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Hong Kong police on the hunt after man slashed on back dies
By Fiona Chow
Hong Kong police have launched a manhunt after a man who was found slashed on his back outside a public housing estate died.
The force said on Friday that it received a report from a security guard at Po Tin Estate in Tuen Mun last night that a man was found lying on the ground outside the entrance of block seven.
The victim, whose back was allegedly slashed by sharp objects, was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Photos taken at the scene showed a pair of flip-flops next to a pool of blood.
As of 11am, police were still looking for the attacker, believed to have fled the scene.
In November last year, a 35-year-old man died after he was allegedly beaten up by a group of four in Tuen Mun’s Yau Oi Estate. The victim was buying takeaway, but got into a conflict and later a fight with the suspects over issues with eye contact.
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By Fiona Chow
Hong Kong police have launched a manhunt after a man who was found slashed on his back outside a public housing estate died.
The force said on Friday that it received a report from a security guard at Po Tin Estate in Tuen Mun last night that a man was found lying on the ground outside the entrance of block seven.
The victim, whose back was allegedly slashed by sharp objects, was taken to Tuen Mun Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Photos taken at the scene showed a pair of flip-flops next to a pool of blood.
As of 11am, police were still looking for the attacker, believed to have fled the scene.
In November last year, a 35-year-old man died after he was allegedly beaten up by a group of four in Tuen Mun’s Yau Oi Estate. The victim was buying takeaway, but got into a conflict and later a fight with the suspects over issues with eye contact.
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Chinese war games system sees surprise US attack on PLA carrier group in South China Sea
By Stephen Chen
Chinese scientists claim to have obtained key parameters of the US military’s latest stealth anti-ship missile and applied them to a warfare simulation.
Boasting unparalleled realism, the enhanced warfare simulation platform reproduces the US military’s most powerful offensive weapons in unprecedented detail, helping the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) formulate more effective countermeasures and tactics to deal with potential military conflicts.
Better understanding the strengths of the enemy will only make China stronger, according to the project team led by researcher Wang Tianxiao with the North China Institute of Computing Technology, a supplier of the PLA’s war gaming system in Beijing.
Wang and his colleagues simulated a large-scale naval battle between China and the United States and revealed some key details in a paper published last month.
The battlefield was set in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, with the Chinese aircraft carrier battle group stationed on the mainland near the Pratas Islands, known as the Dongsha Islands in Chinese. Meanwhile the US aircraft carrier battle group was outside the nine-dash line between Taiwan and the Philippines.
The nine-dash line is the boundary declared by Beijing to assert its sovereignty over the South China Sea. The US military suddenly began a large-scale attack on the Chinese fleet, with one wave of 10 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs) launched simultaneously from different platforms, targeting one of the large destroyers escorting the Chinese aircraft carrier.
It is not unusual for the PLA to simulate US military attacks, but the devil is in the detail.
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By Stephen Chen
Chinese scientists claim to have obtained key parameters of the US military’s latest stealth anti-ship missile and applied them to a warfare simulation.
Boasting unparalleled realism, the enhanced warfare simulation platform reproduces the US military’s most powerful offensive weapons in unprecedented detail, helping the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) formulate more effective countermeasures and tactics to deal with potential military conflicts.
Better understanding the strengths of the enemy will only make China stronger, according to the project team led by researcher Wang Tianxiao with the North China Institute of Computing Technology, a supplier of the PLA’s war gaming system in Beijing.
Wang and his colleagues simulated a large-scale naval battle between China and the United States and revealed some key details in a paper published last month.
The battlefield was set in the northeastern part of the South China Sea, with the Chinese aircraft carrier battle group stationed on the mainland near the Pratas Islands, known as the Dongsha Islands in Chinese. Meanwhile the US aircraft carrier battle group was outside the nine-dash line between Taiwan and the Philippines.
The nine-dash line is the boundary declared by Beijing to assert its sovereignty over the South China Sea. The US military suddenly began a large-scale attack on the Chinese fleet, with one wave of 10 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs) launched simultaneously from different platforms, targeting one of the large destroyers escorting the Chinese aircraft carrier.
It is not unusual for the PLA to simulate US military attacks, but the devil is in the detail.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
