Japan wants the Group of Seven advanced economies to take a coordinated approach this year aimed at preventing the “economic coercion” that China has applied to some of its trading partners.

Actions taken by China in recent years, such as suspending imports of Taiwanese pineapples and Australian wine, represent a “clear and present danger” for economies around the world, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s minister of economy and trade, said in Washington on Thursday. “We expect effective responses to economic coercion will be a major item at this year’s G-7 summit.”

Japan’s economy chief said that democratic powers had made a mistake more than two decades ago in assuming that deepening economic interdependence, by bringing China and then Russia into the World Trade Organization, would “unquestionably bring about a peaceful world” following the end of the Cold War.

Rather than prosperity becoming the “seabed of peace,” however, it only ended up increasing geopolitical risks, Nishimura said. Authoritarian regimes used economic growth and technological advancement to boost their power.

“The free trade system ended up increasing the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes,” he said. “The illusion we embraced ended up amplifying the threat of hegemonic powers.”

Dell looks to phase out China-made chips by 2024

Dell Technologies Inc (DELL.N) plans to stop using China-made chips by 2024 and has told suppliers to reduce the amount of other made-in-China components in its products amid concerns over U.S.-Beijing tensions, the Nikkei reported on Thursday.
 
The news comes after the United States added Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC and 21 "major" companies in the country's artificial intelligence chip sector to a trade blacklist in December.
 
PC maker HP Inc (HPQ.N), one of Dell's rivals, has also started surveying its suppliers to gauge the feasibility of moving production and assembly away from China, the report said, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

Dell has also asked product assemblers and suppliers of other components such as electronic modules and print circuit boards to help prepare capacity in countries beyond China, such as Vietnam, the report said.

Omicron subvariants BA.5.2, BF.7 driving China's latest COVID outbreak - WHO
Reuters
 
Jan 4 (Reuters) - China's recent COVID-19 outbreak is predominantly led by the Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7, which together account for 97.5% of all local infections, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

Teslas Now Over 40% Cheaper in China Than US as Prices Cut Again
Tesla lowers Model 3 and Y prices in China, introduces S and X
Reductions follow other cuts last year as competition grows

The starting price for the locally-built Model Y sports utility vehicle has been slashed to 259,900 yuan ($37,875) from 288,900 yuan, according to the company’s Chinese website. That’s a record low for China and 43% cheaper than the $65,900 starting price listed on Tesla’s US website. The Model 3 goes to 229,900 yuan from 265,900 yuan, about 30% cheaper than in the US.

Tesla was a sought after luxury badge for the rich in China for a long time, but that was due to exclusivity. The EV car market in China has started getting insane, with piles of offerings at every possible price point you could want, even super luxury models like the new HiPhi stuff.

When Tesla has actual competition it suddenly doesn't look good anymore. It pretty much has the best battery. That's it. And no-one in China drives that far. What Chinese consumers tend to want is a fuckton of extremely modern interior features and sheer space, and in that regard the Tesla barely competes with a budget BYD as far as the Chinese are concerned.

So like.....rich people in China can get a way more expensive and flashy car if they want, middle class have so many SUV and hatchback/SUV cross sized offerings that are almost identical they can just pick one at random, and China sometimes feels like practically the only place even bothering to have a range of budget EV cars.

TL: DR - Rich people in China can buy a way more expensive swinging golden cock of an EV if they want to now. Poorer people were never gonna buy a Tesla because they don't have a bottom shelf budget choice. Middle class people have more modern choices (and yes, it is hilarious that Teslas ain't very modern as far as current Chinese brand new car interiors can be now).

China, which is going through a major wave of infections after dismantling its stringent Covid Zero policy in recent weeks, has yet to report any domestic cases of XBB.1.5, a descendant of the omicron XBB subvariant that has now become the dominant strain in the US.

US Cuts Taiwan Transits Even as China Steps Up Military Pressure
US Navy sent the fewest warships through strait since 2018
Relations with China have improved since Biden-Xi meeting

The shift by the US also comes as ties with China have improved since a meeting in November between Xi and President Joe Biden at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia. Reducing the number of voyages through the strait or the South China Sea — where several nations and Taiwan have territorial disputes with China — would be a way for the US to eliminate some friction.

Thailand Scraps Vaccine Proof Requirement for Foreign Visitors in U-Turn
Rule withdrawn following protests from tourism industry
Anutin expects 7-10 million Chinese visitors by air this year

Thailand withdrew a rule requiring foreign travelers to carry proof of Covid vaccination on Monday, just days after reinstating the barrier ahead of the arrival of Chinese tourists.

Les semi-conducteurs sont conçus aux Etats-Unis et en Europe, fabriqués et assemblés en Asie.

AFGHANISTAN | CHINE

Lundi, le porte-parole des talibans a rencontré l'ambassadeur de Chine, au cours duquel la partie chinoise a déclaré qu'elle souhaitait investir en Afghanistan.

[  AFGHANISTAN | CHINE ]

Attaque kamikaze contre le ministère des affaires étrangères afghanes. Il semblerait qu'une délégation chinoise était présente à l'intérieur du bâtiment. Environ 20 personnes ont été tuées selon les premiers rapports.