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Germany moves to protect key industries from Chinese investment

The German government has ruled to ban the purchase of a German energy company by a potential Chinese buyer, only a few days after blocking a similar deal over national security concerns. The nation’s economics ministry gave directions for the state-run development bank KfW to buy a 20% stake in electricity provider 50Hertz, according to […]

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Brief Economics & Trade Energy & Environment Investment Transport & Logistics

China looks to infrastructure spending to soften trade-war fallout

Sources with close knowledge of China’s economic policy planning told Reuters that a boost to infrastructure investment could be a crucial option to balance any hit to growth that comes with a trade war with the US. “In the short term, the most effective way is to boost infrastructure investment,” said one government adviser. A […]

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Brief Law & Regulation Politics & Society Tech, Media & Telecom

China hits back at Qualcomm over failed NXP takeover

China’s antitrust regulator has told Qualcomm not to lay the blame at Beijing’s door over the company’s decision to pull out of its acquisition of Dutch semiconductor firm NXP, the Wall Street Journal reports. Qualcomm nixed its proposed $44 billion takeover of NXP last Wednesday after failing once again to gain the approval of China’s State Administration […]

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Autos Brief Consumer Economics & Trade

BMW to raise prices on cars sold in China

BMW intends to increase the prices of its X5 and X6 SUV models sold in China by between 4% and 7%, the company told Reuters in a statement. The move is due to take effect on Monday. The two models subject to the increase are both made in South Carolina but shipped to China, where […]

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Brief Economics & Trade Politics & Society

Liu He entrusted to reform state-owned enterprises

Liu He, Chinese vice premier and key economic advisor to Xi Jinping, has been made head of a working group with the task of pushing through reforms to the country’s inflated state-owned enterprise sector. The team under Liu will consist of 14 officials from top government and Communist party organisations, including the country’s securities regulators, […]