China daily asia weekly

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin When you unshackle 1.4 billion consumers who have been penned up at home for three years, it’s reasonable to expect some fireworks. For the residents of Mainland China, life under “zero COVID” policies was a dreary round of rolling travel restrictions and lockdowns – as if the United States was permanently stuck on a skipping record of the Spring of 2020. While most of the population was able to find a way to get back to work eventually, the everyday routines of travel, dining out, and visiting friends and family were severely curtailed. Wallets stayed snapped shut. Since China executed its “COVID pivot” in late December 2022, economists have been scrutinizing the data to see if the country will be able to achieve its goal of 5% growth in 2023. If achieved, China will serve as an engine to help developed economies avoid tipping into recession. This is particularly relevant in the new era of higher interest rates, … [Read more...] about Why China’s COVID Comeback Is Still In The Early Innings, With Upside Ahead

Democratic New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was reportedly caught in several videos without a mask at an indoor Mardis Gras ball on Friday, according to Fox News, just weeks after reinstating mask requirements for the city. Cantrell, along with other partygoers at the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Ball at Gallier Hall on Friday, was pictured maskless in 100 short videos that were posted online depicting scenes from the party, Fox News reported . The videos were deleted shortly after Fox News contacted Cantrell’s office, but reportedly show the Democrat singing karaoke. Not a single partygoer was wearing a mask during the event, according to Fox News. (RELATED: California Gov. Newsom, Mayors Caught Maskless With Magic Johnson At Rams Game) Cantrell had reinstated New Orleans’ mask mandate on Jan. 11, 2022, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the emergence of the Omicron variant. Jan 11, 2022: City of New Orleans Announces Reinstatement of Indoor Mask Mandate Mayor’s Ball … [Read more...] about New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell Caught Partying Maskless Weeks After Reinstating Mask Mandate: REPORT

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The U.K. parliament will block all devices on its network from accessing TikTok, according to an announcement Thursday, complementing efforts by European governments and the U.S. in restricting the China-owned app over national security and data privacy concerns. Key Facts A spokesperson for the U.K. parliament—citing cybersecurity concerns—said Thursday that TikTok will be blocked from all parliament devices and any device accessing its network. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said Thursday the Scottish government will ban the app from all devices accessing its network effective immediately, following discussions with the British government. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said all devices used by British government employees would be unable to access TikTok—and the devices will only be able to access pre-approved third-party apps. TikTok will be deleted from all devices … [Read more...] about U.K. Bans TikTok From Parliament Devices—Here Are The Other Governments Banning The App

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline India banned TikTok in June 2020 citing national security concerns after a military clash with China, opening the door for Instagram to dominate and some TikTok duplicates to suddenly emerge as major players in the vacated market. Key Facts Shortly after India banned TikTok, Instagram saw a surge of downloads, propelling it to become the country’s most popular social media app by 2021, up from No. 6 in 2019, and to surpass TikTok in global downloads by the fourth quarter of 2021. Key to Instagram’s success in India was Reels, its algorithm-based, endlessly scrolling vertical video feed that closely resembles TikTok’s For You Page and other TikTok copycats like YouTube Shorts and Snapchat Spotlight. Both Instagram and YouTube bet on Shorts and Reels as potential TikTok alternatives: They tested these features in India after the country banned TikTok before launching them worldwide. … [Read more...] about Here’s What Happened When This Massive Country Banned TikTok

Chinese netizens criticised Thai tourism for being expensive and dangerous . A Chinese male influencer who claims to be a psychiatrist added Thailand also traps Chinese women in prostitution and is a nation of organ trafficking . Thai tourism was a hot topic on Chinese social media last week. It began when a Chinese media agency published an article on March 13, which reported that travelling in Thailand had become three times more expensive than in the past and Chinese people will be unable to visit the country as frequently as they used to. The article went viral when it was reposted on Weibo with the hashtag “Thailand is too expensive to travel.” As a result, it became the top searched story on the application, with over 450 users reading the article and many commenting on the post. Following the trend, a Chinese male influencer claiming to be a psychiatrist launched a video on his channel Xin Yi Lin Lin on the Douyin application saying that Thailand was … [Read more...] about Chinese netizens critisised Thai tourism for being expensive and dangerous

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Amid growing global concern over the social media platform, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday, where U.S. lawmakers are expected to question Chew over safety concerns for minors and preventing U.S. user data from foreign access. Key Facts In Chew’s first appearance before Congress, he’s expected to discuss the company’s privacy and data security practices, as well as the company’s relationship with the Chinese government, which has come under increased scrutiny in recent months. Prepared Remarks Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member Pallone, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to talk about TikTok and our mission to inspire creativity and bring joy to more than 1 billion people worldwide. I look forward to discussing what makes TikTok so special to the diverse audiences it serves, as well as our … [Read more...] about TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s Prepared Comments Before Congress

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A trio of American technology giants could tack on some $431 billion in market value if the U.S. bans TikTok, according to Bernstein analysis published Thursday, as the issues posed by the wildly popular Chinese-owned social media app take center stage in Washington. Key Facts Alphabet, Meta, and Snap, each of which operate short-form video platforms rivaling TikTok, would all be in line for major stock jumps if the U.S. moves forward with a TikTok shutdown, according to a note to clients Thursday from Bernstein analysts led by Mark Shmulik. Shares of YouTube Shorts parent Alphabet could jump as much as 20% should TikTok users need to flock to a replacement for their social media fix, shares of Instagram Reels parent Meta could be in line for as much as a 30% gain and shares of Snapchat Spotlight parent Snap could surge as much as 50%, according to Bernstein forecasts, using price-to-earnings multiple … [Read more...] about Banning TikTok Would Boost Alphabet, Meta And Snap—Here’s How Much Their Stocks Could Jump

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A group of progressive Democrats led by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) are among the first lawmakers in Congress to express their support for TikTok, despite growing bipartisan efforts to ban the popular social media app, amid concerns that an outright ban could lead to a backlash from the app’s most prominent users—Gen Z. Key Facts Bowman was the first major lawmaker in Congress to speak out in support of TikTok earlier this week, criticizing efforts to ban the app as “fear mongering” and suggesting it was fueled by “xenophobia around China.” In a recent video posted to his nearly 160,000 followers on TikTok, Bowman argued that banning the platform won’t solve any problem and said “comprehensive legislation” was instead needed to ensure social media user data is kept safe. The New York Democrat, who is a member of the progressive coalition known as the “Squad,” has since been joined by two other … [Read more...] about TikTok’s Potential Ban Faces Opposition From Some Democrats Amid Concerns It Could Cost Them Gen Z’s Support

TikTok CEO Shou Chew dodged questions Thursday about whether tactics by parent company ByteDance used to “spy” on American journalists could be used to target more Americans. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington questioned Chew on reporting by Forbes that staff at ByteDance used TikTok data last year to surveil journalists who were covering the company, gaining access to their IP addresses to track whether they had been in proximity to ByteDance employees. “TikTok spied on American journalists. Can you say with 100% certainty that neither ByteDance, nor TikTok employees, can target other Americans with similar surveillance?” TikTok CEO: “I disagree with the characterization that it was ‘spying.'” pic.twitter.com/EjWPzuvcec — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 23, 2023 “TikTok spied on American journalists. Can you say with 100% certainty that neither ByteDance, nor TikTok employees, can target other Americans with … [Read more...] about TikTok CEO Dodges On Whether Company Will Cease ‘Spying’ On Americans

President Joe Biden’s approval rating plummets towards the lowest point of his presidency on Thursday, according to a new poll. The president’s approval sank to 38% this month, nearly reaching the lowest point he has received in office where he received a 36% rating in July 2022, an AP/NORC poll found. Biden ‘s March approval has dropped from a 45% rating since February and 41% in January. “Neutral towards approval,” Andrew Dwyer, one of the respondents, told The Associated Press. “I don’t think he’s the best at representing my position and issues. But I know being president involves compromises.” Republicans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president at 96%, while the majority of Democrats approve at 76%. Only 21% of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction, down 7 percentage points from February, a decline of both Democrats and Republicans since last month. Biden’s approval rating at 38%. — GraphicW (@GraphicW5) March 23, 2023 The … [Read more...] about Biden’s Approval Rating Sinks Towards Lowest Point Of His Presidency: POLL