After years of ups and downs, especially the three-year heavy blow from the Covid pandemic, China’s film industry saw a fruitful year in 2023, being an absolute bright spot amid the nation’s uneven consumption-led economic recovery. China's film industry staged an impressive comeback in 2023, witnessing a substantial 83 percent year-on-year surge in annual box office sales, reaching a substantial 54.91 billion yuan ($7.7 billion) with nearly 1.3 billion tickets sold throughout the...

Hong Kong film auteur Wong Kar-wai’s TV debut Blossoms Shanghai aired its finale on Jan 9. Although ended more than a week ago, the fever of the TV series still lingers.  Posts about the drama alone have been read 4.3 billion times on China's micro-blogging platform Weibo. Boasting a stellar rating of 8.5 on Douban, a major Chinese media review platform, Blossoms Shanghai won mostly positive reviews from critics and audience.   The TV series set off a new upsurge in cultural tourism in...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program - Retail sales in China bounce back last year to hit a new record; - Chinese stocksrebounded after the benchmark Shanghai composite dipped below 2,800 points. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours China's consumption in 2023 played a vital role in bolstering economic development. Final consumption contributed 82.5 percent of overallGDPgrowth, while retail sales set a new record of 47.15 trillion yuan ($6.62...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program - China achieves 5.2% GDP growth in 2023, successfully meeting yearly target; - Premier Li Qiang urges global cooperation and vows continued opening-up at WEF. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours China's gross domestic product expanded by 5.2 percent in 2023 - meeting the country's preset annual growth target of around 5 percent, fueled by a slew of policy measures taking effect gradually last year, official...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program Foreign investors hike holdings of Chinese bonds by record levels; China unveils plan to boost “silver economy". Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  Foreign investment in China is picking up as overseas investors made net purchases of Chinese onshore bonds for months, including a net purchase of $24.5 billion in December, the highest level in almost two years, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program China’s central bank surprises markets by leaving medium-term rate unchanged, but adds liquidity; Chinese premier arrives in Switzerland for Davos forum. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The People’s Bank of China on Monday added 995 billion yuan ($138.84 billion) worth of one-year medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans to some financial institutions, but surprised markets by leaving the interest rate...

It all started with a furore, when the Harbin Ice and Snow World was overcrowded by incoming visitors on its opening day. Many had to spend much longer than expected time waiting to get on some of the popular amusement facilities. Angry customers asked the park for ticket refunds. That may have, like many other similar cases, turned into a complete PR disaster, damaging the park and even the city’s reputation. Then things took a U-turn. The Ice and Snow World issued a public apology and...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program · Central bank approves 100 billion yuan mortgages for rental housing groups in 8 pilot cities; · China's auto production and sales topped 30 million units for the first time in 2023. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The People's Bank of China (PBOC) approved a total of 100 billion yuan in mortgages for rental housing groups to support the purchase of commercial properties for long-term rental in eight...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program · CES kicked off with doubling Chinese participants; · Guangzhou’s Nansha is set to play key role in GBA prosperity. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's largest consumer tech conference, officially kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Over 4,000 exhibitors from around the world are showcasing a variety of cutting-edge tech gadgets during the expo - which is...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program · China steps up efforts to set standards for auto chips amid fierce competition; · China expects record air travel demand in Lunar New Year Holiday. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Monday released a sweeping plan to accelerate the establishment of standards for automotive chips, in a bid to further boost research and development...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program · China’s December forex reserves return to above $3.2 trillion; · Guangdong sees energy storage project filings quadruple in 2024's first week. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China's foreign exchange reserves reached a two-year high of $3.238 trillion as of the end of last year while gold reserves increased for the 14th consecutive month, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.  The...

The beginning of 2024 marks an important moment for both China's emerging cruising industry and global cruising. As Adora Magic City departed on its maiden voyage, it paves the way for luxury cruising based in China and potentially for a new cruise shipbuilding market.  It's the first-ever luxury cruise ship built entirely in China at international standards. Over the past few days, the Chinese vessel has kicked off its final trials before it sets off on its maiden voyage starting on January...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program China’s net PSL reaches 350 billion yuan in first month after PBOC reintroduced the tool; BYD overtakes Tesla in quarterly EV sales for the first time. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The net pledge supplemental lending value of China’s three policy banks reached 350 billion yuan in December, the first month after the People’s Bank of China reintroduced PSLs. The net PSL value of China Development Bank,...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program Sales at Chinese NEV makers rebounded in December; Guangdong leads the way with 18.07 million registered businesses. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  Having become a new export spotlight for the Chinese economy, the new-energy vehicles (NEVs) industry experienced a hard-won year in 2023, with sales estimated to have hit a new high. Most automakers reported a yearly sales growth.  BYD, dominating the...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program China's tourism roars back during New Year's Day holiday, topping pre-pandemic levels; China's first home-made cruise ship sets sail on maiden voyage. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China's tourism industry roared back to life during the just-concluded New Year's Day holiday, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in both visitor numbers and revenue. Domestic destinations welcomed a staggering 135 million...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. Central government departments list innovation at forefront of 2024 tasks; Xiaomi unveils first electric car, plans to become top automaker. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  Following China's tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference earlier this month, various government authorities have convened meetings, making specific arrangements to anchor the growth momentum of the Chinese economy in...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. · China's industrial profits extend gains for 4th month in November; · China appoints new deputy head of central bank and other senior economic and financial officials. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  Profits at China's industrial firms extended gains for a fourth consecutive month in November, adding to signs of improvement. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday that large...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. · China’s gaming regulator approves 105 new games; · Joint-stock banks follow suit on a new round of deposit rate cuts. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) on Monday announced the approval of 105 domestically produced online games in December, covering a large number of game makers.  The announcement, following the approval on Friday of a batch of...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. · China vows to build itself into an agricultural powerhouse, with food security and rural revitalization prioritized; · Mainland suspends some tariff cuts on Taiwan imports. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China has laid out the priorities for the country's rural work in 2024 at a key meeting held from Tuesday to Wednesday, stressing the target to build China into an agricultural powerhouse and the...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. · Emergency response has been upgraded after Gansu earthquake, while companies are quick to offer donation and supplies; · World's first Zootopia land opens at Shanghai Disney Resort. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  The 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted China's Gansu province and neighboring Qinghai province at midnight Monday has killed 131 people, with over 780 people injured, local authorities...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. New Year’s Day holidays see spike in train ticket booking as residents embrace winter travel rush; Emergency response mechanism has been launched to ensure aid to a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Gansu province. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  Train tickets for the first day of the upcoming New Year's Day holidays went on sale on Saturday, with some popular routes sold out within seconds, data from online...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. China rolls out new rules to unify 400 trillion yuan non-bank payment sector; East Buy jumps as star live-streamer returns as senior partner and VP of New Oriental’s culture and tourism branch. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours  China has introduced new regulations to better monitor and supervise non-bank payment institutions, which are entities such as fintech giant Alipay and instant messenger WeChat...

Take a walk in the Gardens by the Bay, go shopping in the high-end malls at the Marina Bay Sands, take photos with the iconic Merlion Statue, enjoy a hearty meal in Chinatown, experience adrenaline-rushing thrill rides at the Universal Studios, or enjoy a cozy afternoon at the Jewel Changi Airport…… A fascinating city-state, a vibrant metropolis, where diverse experiences unfold every moment, Singapore is a captivating island nation in Southeast Asia that boasts a thriving tourism industry...

Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI. Coming up on today’s program. - November sees steady expansion of China's financing; - Chinaissued this winter’s first orange alert for a cold wave. Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours China has issued more new yuan-denominated loans in January to November than in the whole of last year after the country stepped up efforts to support the real economy via credit delivery at the start of this year. China's banks extended 21.58 trillion...