Brazil First Lady Complains to Xi About TikTok's Effects on Kids
She raised the issue after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Xi Jinping to send someone he trusted to Brazil to discuss the regulation of TikTok, which is owned by Chinese internet firm ByteDance Ltd, and other platforms, Lula told reporters in Beijing.
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American Military News
6 minutes ago
- American Military News
US quietly deployed missiles near China, sparking Chinese response
The United States is considering the potential deployment of additional missile launchers to the Philippines following the initial quiet deployment of missile launchers last year amid rising tension with China. The deployment of missiles near China has resulted in China issuing major warnings. According to The Associated Press, the U.S. military deployed the Typhon, a land-based missile system capable of firing the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and the Standard Missile-6, to the Philippines for joint military exercises last April. The outlet noted that an anti-ship missile launcher was also deployed to the Philippines by the U.S. military earlier this year. The Associated Press reported that the ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States confirmed on Thursday that the United States is considering the deployment of additional missile launchers to the Philippines amid increased tension in the South China Sea. However, the ambassador acknowledged that a final decision regarding the deployment of additional missiles has not been made. Addressing military deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region during a press conference in Manila in March, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said, 'The United States has been fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Philippines since World War II. Our partnership not only continues today, but we are doubling down on that partnership, and our ironclad alliance has never been stronger.' READ MORE: China, Russia hold major joint military exercise In response to the U.S. military's deployment of missile launchers in the Philippines, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense has warned the Philippines that the missile systems could lead to 'self-inflicted destruction' and cause instability in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Defense News, a Chinese national security document, titled 'China's National Security in the New Era,' warned of 'intensifying geopolitics' and a 'Cold War mentality' due to the increase of 'intermediate-range missile systems' in the region. The Chinese document warned that the deployment of foreign missiles in the Philippines could result in 'aggravated regional tensions,' as the two countries are already involved in a maritime dispute over territory in the South China Sea. The Chinese document stated, 'Unresolved territorial and maritime rights disputes have become more difficult and complicated … with the intervention of foreign forces.' Additionally, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense previously warned, 'Wherever US weapons are deployed, the risk of war and conflicts will rise, and the local people will suffer undeserved suffering from war.'
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Serious Art, Viral Bathrooms: Inside Deji Plaza's Luxury Retail Playbook
To gaze into the future of China's evolving luxury retail dynamic, look no further than Deji Plaza, a regional luxury shopping mall in the affluent capital of Nanjing. The mall, part of the Nanjing-based real estate company Deji Group, was founded in 2006 by Wu Tiejun, an enigmatic local businessman. By 2018, it surpassed 10 billion renminbi, or $1.39 billion in sales, and became the highest-grossing retail project in Eastern China. More from WWD Space 519 Aims to Be More Than a Luxury Store Luxury Consumers Are Purchasing Secondhand Hermès Birkins and Kellys to Diversify Their Assets Shoe Firms, Consumers Get Big Break as Trump Extends China Tariff Deadline By 2024, sales more than doubled to 24.5 billion renminbi, or $3.4 billion, dethroning longtime champion SKP. With a steadfast focus on luxury retail — Deji remains the only Nanjing mall to have Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior under one roof — the local retailer has become a top luxury destination in the region, covering an expanse of the so-called 'high speed rail three-hour shopping zone' that reaches as far as Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai. Despite new developments over the past five years, most notably IFC and MixC, Nanjing's retail landscape remains 'extremely fragmented,' according to a recent city report by real estate consultancy Savills. 'Unlike the dynamic in other lower-tiered cities, such as Chengdu, Hangzhou, or Xi'an, Deji remains a rarity,' said Chester Zhang of Savills. 'There's virtually no competition for Deji in the region because it really strives to understand its customer base — in terms of service, in terms of cuisine preferences.' Zhang also highlighted the importance of Anhui clientele, given the province's close historical ties with Nanjing. According to Deji, 75 percent of its shoppers come from outside the city. For Deji, staying ahead of the curve meant reimagining some of the basic tenets of retail real estate. 'The 1.0 era of retail was all about competing for tenants. The 2.0 era is about operations, now we are working toward 3.0, the era of content, because consumers are maturing as well,' said Ai Ling, vice president of Deji Group. In practice, that meant attracting the most exciting brands matched with the most exclusive product offerings. In late August, La Beauté Louis Vuitton will open its first China store at Deji, right next to its ultra-busy subway entrance, which receives an average daily footfall of 300,000 people. In June, MAC Cosmetics unveiled a 'musical spaceship' retail concept on the same floor. Fueling the gold investment craze, Chinese gold jewelry brand Jemper will open its first Eastern China store at Deji. Last year, the mall made adjustments to around 100 storefronts, some of which were used to make room to facilitate the ultimate Deji experience, including a lush food court and expand its opulent bathroom designs that began in 2023. As imaginative and even more functional than Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet, each of Deji's viral bathrooms — or 'worry-free zones' — spans 500 square meters and costs more than 10 million renminbi, or $1.4 million, to create, based on internet lore. Designed by the Shanghai-based architectural firm X+Living, bathroom themes range from calligraphy, and classical music to Chinese Zen and cyberpunk. So far, Self-Portrait and MAC Cosmetics have hosted splashy pop-ups inside the bathrooms. Ai quickly dismissed assumptions around Asian luxury malls' obsession with equally luxurious bathrooms, calling it a Japanese invention, and instead positioned Deji's bathrooms as an integral part of its 'humanistic' retail approach. 'The restroom is a reflection of retail acumen. Why do people always focus on restrooms when discussing Deji? It's because restrooms have high usage rates; they're also public spaces that require careful planning by retail operators,' Ai said. She explained that the ideas sprang from a need for male shoppers to relax while waiting for their partners. It was also a direct response to China's nationwide 'toilet revolution,' launched in 2015 to improve sanitary conditions at tourist attractions. 'If they have to wait, why not carve out a space for them to wait in peace?' Ai said. 'We later added a mother and baby room to support single parents — just look at how high the divorce rates are now,' she added. Since turning into tourist hot spots, these lavish bathrooms helped drive Deji's daily foot traffic to a record 335,000 during the Labor Day Golden Week in May. Running in parallel with its sociable bathrooms is Deji's increased focus on art, which fuels its high-end appeal. When the luxury destination decided to open 24 hours in December, its museum branch followed suit by extending opening hours to midnight. 'We want our consumers to enjoy art at ease, and art ought to be an integral part of a kind of leisurely lifestyle people aspire to,' Ai said. 'Even if you've got your work goals, many of life's responsibilities to take care of, you still need to leave some time for yourself. So we figured if we stay open till midnight, people will be able to really take their time to take in art.' A 9,000-square-meter cultural landmark on the eighth floor of Deji Plaza Phase Two, Deji Art Museum opened in 2017 and has become a rarity in China. The museum, which started as a private art space and earned institutional prestige three years ago when it came under the oversight of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, has distinguished itself from predecessors like K11 and Beijing's Parkview Green Fangcaodi with its robust and wide-ranging collection, which began with Jinling artifacts, Chinese antiquities, and expanded quickly to Chinese contemporary art, floral art and artworks related to the color black. Its most recent exhibition, titled 'Nothing Still About Still Lifes — Three Centuries of Floral Compositions,' brings together the museum's decade-long collection of floral-themed artworks — including nearly 100 Chinese and Western masters such as Claude Monet, Zhao Wuji and Jeff Koons — and is curated by the acclaimed curator Joachim Pissarro. The museum's permanent exhibition, 'An Era In Jinling,' offers a gamified experience of pedestrian life during the Song Dynasty, while a Beeple exhibition, constantly refreshed with new works, ensures Deji's art offerings have as much dynamism as its shop floors. Done right, exhibitions can translate directly to revenues for the museum. Including ticket sales, commercial collaborations and gift shop sales. Sales reached 50 million renminbi, or $6.9 million, in 2024, and it plans to nearly double its sales to 99 million renminbi, or $13.9 million, this year. With its attention-grabbing approach to retail and art, Deji now counts 60 percent of shoppers from outside Jiangsu province. Three quarters of the people who visit the museum come from out of town. Ai declined to reveal the shopping mall's overall sales goal for 2025, saying, 'We are not the kind to set a fixed target just for the sake of it, then pop the Champagne at year-end.' Instead, the focus remains on innovating experiences. Deji's own bathroom evolution will expand to 15 locations once it completes its retail upgrades for Phases 2 and 3 of the shopping mall, the latter currently being excavated for artifacts before construction can begin. Its latest bathroom doubles as a gallery displaying early works by Beeple — after purchasing the American self-taught artist's digital art piece 'S.2122' for $9 million in 2023, Deji opened his first solo exhibition in its eighth-floor art museum. It also expanded its bathroom aesthetics to a pocket of its phase 2 retail space, pairing up-and-coming lifestyle brands with futuristic corridors and iconic artworks from the likes of Hajime Sorayama and Ichwan Noor. At the nearby Hexi district, a planned second central business district, Deji will open a spinoff retail project that caters to Gen Z shoppers, which is slated to open later this year. Building an experience around nighttime retail, Deji is continuing to explore AI-powered security, humanless shopping and even interactive robotic trash cans — all bringing a taste of smart retail innovation to the mall. 'Deji's 24.5 billion renminbi in sales was not driven solely by a small clutch of VIP shoppers — it's also built on everyday purchases: a cup of coffee here, a pair of shoes there. We advocate for being a comprehensive luxury mall with an expansive range of offerings,' Ai explained. 'Of course, we are intentional about adding popular segments, including high jewelry, luxury cosmetics and premium fragrances. It's about bringing the best products to consumers, so that when people think of Deji, they think of the best brands and a top-tier retail experience — but a top-tier experience isn't just about luxury alone,' Ai said. 'Deji is a retail space full of life, full of stories, which brings in tremendous traffic and attention. The question is whether the brands have the ability to convert that traffic — to effectively engage and utilize it. If they can do that well, they can generate stronger sales performance at Deji,' said Ai, posing a challenge luxury executives can't afford to ignore. Best of WWD Macy's Is Closing 66 Stores in 2025 — Here's the List, Live Updates Inside the Demise of Lord & Taylor COVID-19 Spikes Elevate Retail Concerns Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A shipbuilding behemoth is rising in China. By scale, nothing else comes close.
Two of China's state-owned shipbuilding groups are finalizing a major merger, building a juggernaut. The deal has been in the works since 2019 and will extensively grow CSSC, the world's largest shipbuilder. CSSC accounts for a massive share of global shipbuilding and features dual-use yards for military vessels. A Chinese state-owned shipbuilding group was already the world's biggest. Now it's finishing up a merger with its main domestic rival, resulting in an absolute juggernaut of an industry force. China has been quantitatively dominating the global shipbuilding game, leaving the US and its allies playing catch-up. The merger only tightens Beijing's grip on the industry, handing China a critical advantage in generating commercial and naval power. Last week, trading in the shares of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) was suspended as CSSC moves to absorb CSIC, which is ultimately being delisted. CSSC previously received approval from the Shanghai Stock Exchange to absorb its competitor in a substantial share-swap deal. It marked the latest step in a merger that's been in the works since 2019, a move that will create a new streamlined shipbuilding behemoth. Though the companies merged years ago, industrial overlap continues to be an issue, as is unresolved internal industry competition. The mega merger cuts duplicated costs and redundant functions for more efficient, more coordinated operations. Post merger, Chinese media reports, CSSC will control some $56 billion in assets while generating $18 billion in annual revenue. Some estimates are higher. CSSC is China's — and the world's — largest shipbuilding group. It built more commercial vessels by tonnage in 2024 than the entire US shipbuilding industry has built since the end of the World War II, according to a report on Chinese shipbuilding earlier this year from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. And CSIC was the country's second-largest. Both are state-owned, meaning their operations and developments are overseen by the government, and they were originally part of the same firm until split in 1999 under Chinese Communist Party reforms. The reunion between the two is expected to result in a bigger, more powerful CSSC. It signals China's push for a more consolidated approach to its commercial and military shipbuilding. "When it's all said and done, CSSC will be the largest listed shipbuilding company in the world by a considerable margin, in terms of both assets and revenue," Matthew Funaiole, a CSIS senior fellow with the China Power Project, told Business Insider. "And maybe more importantly, it will have the full backing of the Chinese state and its industrial policy might." That kind of state backing means global rivals face not just a company, but an arm of Beijing's industrial strategy. A massive shipbuilding empire CSSC alone is a commercial shipbuilding giant, boasting expansive shipyards, factories, and research institutes controlled by political and military leaders in Beijing. It includes 84 subsidiaries and employs over 200,000 people across shipbuilding, engineering, research and development, and other areas, CSIS said earlier this year. Comparatively, the entire US shipbuilding industry directly employs just over 100,000 people, per available data. When the companies first began the merger process, CSSC and CSIC oversaw, by some estimates, $120 billion in combined assets — almost four times as much as South Korean rival Hyundai Heavy Industries. The companies shared resources, including financing, technologies, and personnel. The merger itself is part of China's long-standing push to consolidate its shipbuilding, as the "central government is trying to reduce horizontal competition between companies within its domestic market in order to be better positioned to extend its dominance over global markets," Funaiole said. And while the number of active Chinese shipyards has decreased since peaking in 2009 at just over 300 — as of 2024, it was around 150 spread across a handful of major production sites — the total production has continued to increase, substantially so in 2023 and 2024. China produced over 50% of global commercial shipbuilding in 2024, well beyond Japan and South Korea. And at its major shipbuilding hubs, especially in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Dalian, commercial vessels are pumped out at rapid rates. Similarly, CSSC and CSIC have thrived on foreign ship orders. Data reviewed by CSIS has shown that foreign firms have purchased hundreds of hulls from China's biggest yards, resulting in billions in revenue. Many of these yards are co-production for military shipbuilding, too. CSSC in particular has been a successful case of what Beijing has called its "military-civil fusion" strategy, which removes the barriers between its commercial and defense sectors, allowing one to fuel the other. China's dual-use approach has allowed its shipbuilding industry to quickly produce naval vessels using the same equipment and personnel it uses for commercial ones, which has resulted in a naval force buildup that has received increased attention from the US and its allies and partners. The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Navy is the largest in the world, the Pentagon has noted repeatedly in its more recent annual reports on China's military. China's navy maintains a battle force of over 370 ships and submarines. And because China can produce a wide range of ships, engines, weapons, and systems, it is "nearly self-sufficient for all shipbuilding needs," the most recent report said. Self-sufficiency is an essential capability in a serious conflict, when supply lines could face unexpected pressures. Challenges for the US and its allies and partners The finalization of this merger adds to long-standing concerns in the West about China's shipbuilding dominance and raises questions about what the US and its allies, specifically South Korea and Japan, can and will do to bolster their own industries. US President Donald Trump has made revitalizing American shipbuilding a top priority, and there's growing talk about having the US military and defense contractors work more closely with South Korean and Japanese companies. Rhetoric, however, has been somewhat out of sync with action. By combining CSSC and CSIC, China appears to be notably strengthening its domestic industry for continued dominance of global shipbuilding. In January 2025, China held around 62% of the global order book for merchant vessels through 2033, CSIS reports, with over 80% of orders for new container ships and 30% for LNG, or liquefied natural gas, carriers vital for global trade. The new CSSC will now have even more resources across its yards for building military vessels. The consolidation between CSSC and CSIC lends to further expansion of China's shipbuilding capabilities and capacity, especially as Beijing will have more centralized control that will make it easier to transfer technologies, personnel, and assets for building ships across divisions, Funaiole said. For Washington and its allies, the merger underscores how far ahead Beijing already is — and the difficulties in catching up. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
