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China’s car sales snap five-month decline on subsidy boost

Newswire / /

China’ss passenger vehicle sales rose 4.3% in September from a year earlier, snapping five months of decline with a boost from a government subsidy to encourage trade-ins as part of a broader stimulus package.

All the gains came from battery-powered vehicles, whose buyers and manufacturers have benefited since July from a doubling of subsidies to consumers, while sales of gasoline cars in China, a market foreign brands once dominated, continue to shrink.

Sales in the world’ss biggest auto market hit 2.13 million vehicles in September, up from 2.04 million a year earlier. For the first nine months, sales were up 1.9% from 2023 levels, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids jumped 50.9%, accounting for 52.8% of overall sales. It was the third month in a row that battery-powered vehicles including plug-ins outnumbered sales of gasoline-engine cars in China.

Gasoline car sales in September were above 1 million, up more than 100,000 from August. But that was far short of September last year, when over 1.29 million were sold in China.

Sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids – a category the Chinese industry group classifies as “new energy vehicles”; – hit 1.12 million in September and 7.13 million for the first nine months. 

Global EV sales have slowed this year with automakers outside China scaling back production. Sales in China, however, have risen, driven by expanded subsidies for consumers trading in older vehicles for EVs and more fuel-efficient cars – a program  likened to the U.S. “cash-for-clunkers” stimulus in 2009.

source: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-car-sales-rise-snapping-five-month-decline-subsidy-boost-2024-10-12/

 

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China and Vietnam are expected to sign new agreements to boost railway links andagricultural trade

Newswire / /

According to the Reuters, during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Hanoi this weekend, two people briefed about the Sino-Vietnamese plans to sign of future agreement regarding railway links and agricultural trade.

Seamless rail links are a sign of growing trust between the two countries and would be a boost for trade and supply chains, as a growing number of Chinese manufacturers move some export-oriented operations to Vietnam amid trade tensions between China and the United States.

The deals, which one of the people said also included agreements on payment systems and customs procedures, could further boost economic ties between the two Communist-ruled neighbours after a series of high-level meetings and cooperation agreements signed in recent months.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-vietnam-set-sign-deals-railway-links-agriculture-sources-say-2024-10-11/

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China kicks off 500 bln yuan swap facility to aid stock market

Newswire / /

China kicks off 500 bln yuan swap facility to aid stock market. China’s central bank said on Thursday it would start accepting applications from financial institutions to join a newly created funding scheme, initially worth 500 billion yuan ($70.62 billion), to aid the capital market.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said eligible securities firms, fund companies and insurers can apply to join the swap scheme, which gives them easier access to funding to buy stocks.

“The swap facility is designed to provide liquidity support to non-bank financial institutions, and can help lift confidence in the stock market” ; said Ming Ming, analyst at Citic Securities.

The PBOC first announced the scheme on Sept. 24 as part of a broad package of policies to stimulate the economy and boost capital markets.

Clarification: The term “swap” refers to the exchange of one asset or liability for another similar asset or liability by increasing or decreasing risks.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/china-cbank-kicks-off-500-bln-yuan-swap-facility-aid-stock-market-2024-10-10/

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Brussels rejected China proposal for 30,000 euro minimum sales price in EV dispute

Newswire / /

Brussels rejected a proposal by the Chinese government for imported electric vehicles made in China to be sold at a minimum price of 30,000 euros ($32,946), sources said, a move Beijing hoped would avert EU tariffs being imposed next month.

The European Commission said it had dismissed minimum price offers from EV makers in China a month ago as part of an anti-subsidy investigation that has thrown Beijing and the European Union into their biggest trade dispute in a decade.

Electric cars cost on average less than half as much in China as they do in Europe and the United States, according to 2023 figures from data firm JATO Dynamics. The country’s carmakers benefit from a range of cost advantages – from local access to raw materials and batteries, to heavy subsidies from Beijing.

The average retail price of a battery-electric car in China was around 32,000 euros ($35,126.40) in the first half of 2023, including models such as BYD’s Seagull that sell for under 10,000 euros. By contrast, the average retail price of a battery electric car in Europe was 66,000 euros.

In rejecting the Chinese proposal, Brussels said at the time that it was not only about the prices carmakers charge for their China-made EVs, but also the subsidies they received producing them and removing the impact of such support payments.

The Commission had declined to provide details of the offers, by which makers of EVs in China pledged to respect certain pricing thresholds to avoid flooding the European market with cheap vehicles the bloc says local rivals cannot compete with.

source: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/brussels-rejected-china-proposal-30000-euro-minimum-sales-price-ev-dispute-2024-10-08/

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Civic IDEA held meetings in Washington DC with the partner organizations

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From September 24 to 27, 2024, Civic IDEA, alongside Democracy Research Institute and Courtwatch, held meetings in Washington DC with the partner organizations and US state agencies including The German Marshall Fund, National Endowment for Democracy, Atlantic Council, American Foreign Policy Council, Freedom House, USAID, National Press Center Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congress, focusing on the pivotal 2024 Georgian elections.

Discussions highlighted that the ruling Georgian Dream party may face defeat, with the opposition offering diverse alternatives, though success depends on a strategic, unified campaign. Concerns were raised about Georgian Dream’s use of the church in political campaigns, with international scrutiny deemed essential to ensure fair elections.

 The meetings also addressed key challenges in Georgia, particularly the controversial Foreign Agents Law, and its impact on civil society, judicial independence, and EU integration. Participants emphasized the need for judicial transparency and anti-corruption reforms as vital to Georgia’s democratic progress.

Civic IDEA held meetings in Washington DC with the partner organizations Read More »

Chinese hackers breached US court wiretap systems

Newswire / /

Chinese hackers accessed the networks of U.S. broadband providers and obtained information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized wiretapping, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Verizon Communications , AT&T and Lumen Technologies  are among the telecoms companies whose networks were breached by the recently discovered intrusion, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The hackers might have held access for months to network infrastructure used by the companies to cooperate with court-authorized U.S. requests for communications data, the Journal said. It said the hackers had also accessed other tranches of internet traffic.

China’s foreign ministry responded on Sunday that it was not aware of the attack described in the report but said the United States had “concocted a false narrative” to “frame” China in the past.

“At a time when cybersecurity has become a common challenge for all countries around the world, this erroneous approach will only hinder the efforts of the international community to jointly address the challenge through dialogue and cooperation,” the ministry said in a statement to Reuters.

Beijing has previously denied claims by the U.S. government and others that it has used hackers to break into foreign computer systems. The companies themselves , whose systems were attacked , have not commented.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/chinese-hackers-breached-us-court-wiretap-systems-wsj-reports-2024-10-06/

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Civic IDEA, in collaboration with the Democracy Research Institute and Courtwatch, participated in a meeting hosted by the German Marshall Fund focusing on Georgia’s critical 2024 parliamentary elections.

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On September 25, 2024, Civic IDEA, in collaboration with the Democracy Research Institute and Courtwatch, participated in a meeting hosted by the German Marshall Fund in Washington, DC, focusing on Georgia’s critical 2024 parliamentary elections.

There is growing optimism that the ruling Georgian Dream party might lose power, as the opposition offers voters multiple coalition options. However, for success, a unified and well-coordinated campaign will be essential to build voter momentum, as public perception often determines electoral outcomes. Concerns were also voiced about the legitimacy of Georgian Dream’s campaign tactics, particularly its use of the church to influence political campaigns. International oversight and pressure are seen as crucial to ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

In addition to these discussions, the event also addressed other significant challenges facing Georgia, such as the controversial Foreign Agents Law. Civic IDEA and its partners examined the law’s implications, as well as its potential broader impact on civil society, judicial independence, and Georgia’s EU integration path. Key reforms, including the need for judicial transparency and anti-corruption measures, were underscored as vital for the country’s democratic progress.

Civic IDEA, in collaboration with the Democracy Research Institute and Courtwatch, participated in a meeting hosted by the German Marshall Fund focusing on Georgia’s critical 2024 parliamentary elections. Read More »

Civic idea’a Researcher Aksana Akhmedova has attended “International Democracy Day Brussels 2024”

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Civic idea’s Researcher Aksana Akhmedova has attended the conference  “International Democracy day” taking place in Brussels.

“In 2024, the year of elections, half the world’s population is going to the polls to elect new governments and representatives who will shape future policy. These elections are taking place in a context of global democratic backsliding, with half of all countries surveyed in a recent report experiencing democratic declines, and all regions showing an eroding respect for basic rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.” 

“IDD 2024 Brussels” was about “A year of elections”  and therefore an assessment of the current state of global democracy. 

The conference was held in the European Committee of the Regions, and was attended by members of the EU institutions, as well as activists and representatives of civil society from different countries – to discuss the state of democracy, its challenges and future opportunities.

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Tina Khidasheli is participating in the annual OSCE conference taking place in Warsaw.

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Tina Khidasheli is participating in the annual OSCE conference taking place in Warsaw. She addresses the participants in „Responding to “Foreign Agents” Legislation to Support Civil Society Resilience” session .

“The fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly, association and expression are under increasing threat in many parts of the OSCE region. Governments across the region are introducing so- called “foreign agents” legislation (sometimes referred to as “foreign influence” or “sovereignty protection” laws) under the guise of transparency measures, which is often used instead to unduly restrict civil society activity. This legislation often arises in tandem with laws restricting media freedom, and other efforts to constrict and control civic space.”

Her purpose is to present its vision to the OSCE member states to identify concrete measures participating States, international organizations, and local civil society can take to address and mitigate the detrimental effects of these laws.

Event support & organizers: United States, Sweden, United Kingdom, Canada, Republic of Lithuania, Latvia, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Estonia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Poland

Tina Khidasheli is participating in the annual OSCE conference taking place in Warsaw. Read More »

Civic IDEA held a meeting at National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, focusing on the pivotal 2024 Georgian elections

New / /

On September 25, 2024, Civic IDEA, alongside Democracy Research Institute and Courtwatch, held a meeting at National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, focusing on the pivotal 2024 Georgian elections. Optimism is growing that the ruling Georgian Dream party may lose power, with the opposition presenting diverse options for voters. However, success will require a unified, strategic campaign to build momentum, as elections are often won by shaping public perception. Concerns were also raised about the legitimacy of Georgian Dream’s tactics, including their use of the church in political campaigns. International scrutiny and pressure are seen as vital to ensuring a fair and transparent election.

Alongside the topics mentioned above, the event focused on addressing pressing challenges in Georgia, including the controversial Foreign Agents Law. Civic IDEA and its partners discussed the law’s impact, as well as the broader implications for civil society, judicial independence, and Georgia’s EU integration efforts. Key reforms, such as the need for judicial transparency and anti-corruption measures, were highlighted as crucial steps for the country’s democratic development.

Civic IDEA held a meeting at National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, focusing on the pivotal 2024 Georgian elections Read More »

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