Latest news with #CHINESE
The Sun
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
China EV brands Zeekr, Neta accused of inflating car sales
CHINESE electric vehicle brands Neta and Zeekr inflated sales in recent years to hit aggressive targets, with Neta doing so for more than 60,000 cars, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with dealers and buyers. The companies arranged for cars to be insured before they were sold to buyers, the documents show, enabling them under Chinese industry car registration practices to book sales early so they could hit the monthly and quarterly targets, the dealers and buyers said. Neta booked early sales of at least 64,719 cars through this method from January 2023 to March 2024, according to copies of records it sent to dealers, seen by Reuters. That was more than half the sales of 117,000 vehicles it reported over the 15 months. Zeekr, a premium EV brand owned by Geely, used the same method to book early sales in late 2024 in the southern city of Xiamen through its main dealer there, state-owned Xiamen C&D Automobile, according to dealers, buyers and sales receipts seen by Reuters. Vehicles booked as sold before reaching a buyer are called 'zero-mileage used cars' in the Chinese auto industry. The practice has emerged out of cutthroat competition for sales in the world's largest auto market, which is reeling from a brutal, years-long price war caused by chronic overcapacity. The industry faces a moment of reckoning, with state media calling out the zero-mileage car practice, the cabinet pledging to regulate 'irrational' competition, and other central government bodies organising meetings with the industry's largest players to express concern about such methods. On Saturday a publication run by the China Association of Auto Manufacturers said the industry ministry was planning to clamp down on the practice by banning cars from being resold within six months of being registered as a sale. STATE MEDIA FOCUS Also on Saturday, state media reported that Zeekr had been selling cars with insurance already purchased to inflate sales, the first such naming and shaming of a specific automaker. In a front-page story, the China Securities Journal newspaper interviewed Zeekr car buyers in cities such as Guangzhou and Chongqing, who the newspaper said had found that their cars already had insurance policies before they were sold. They said they were refused refunds, even though they felt they were deceived. The newspaper questioned Zeekr's unusually high sales in the cities of Shenzhen and Xiamen in December. Its reported sales in Xiamen surged to 2,737 that month, more than 14 times its monthly average. Reuters could not determine how much of that volume might have been booked early. The China Securities Journal also raised questions over Neta's sales, saying it showed anomalies. Reuters is reporting for the first time details of how Neta inflated sales. Zeekr, Zhejiang Hozon New Energy Automobile, which owns Neta, and Xiamen C&D did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. A spokesperson for Geely said, 'Geely firmly rejects the report put forward by the China Securities Journal.' The spokesperson declined to comment on Reuters findings or provide further details. Li Yanwei, an analyst with the China Automobile Dealers Association, said he believed the firms carried out such practices to embellish their financial reports and achieve their performance goals. 'This way of whitewashing performance is not advisable,' he wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday. Analysts and investors tracking China's auto industry gauge performance and estimate inventory levels with two sets of sales data. Wholesale numbers reported by automakers to the industry association show sales from automakers to dealers, while retail data compiled from insurance registration records show the sales to users. Some zero-mileage used cars are exported to be sold as second-hand cars overseas, but analysts and dealers say the domestic sales volume is significantly higher, with Chinese customers nationwide buying what they believe to be discounted new vehicles, only to find out later their car is not insured under their name. PRESSURE ON DEALERS Last month the state-owned People's Daily, the mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party, published an editorial condemning the sale of zero-mileage used cars domestically and listing a litany of harms the practice brings upon the industry and buyers. This month four dealer associations based in the wealthy Yangtze River Delta urged automakers to set them more reasonable sales targets and incentive policies, saying, without providing details, that dealers were being forced to falsify sales. Neta booked sales early by arranging insurance policies for cars before sending them to dealers, according to records shared with Reuters and a dealer for the brand. The records contain details for each car and the insurance policies purchased on them, with the names of the insurance agents. Dealers were able to refer to these when they found a buyer to transfer the policy to, according to copies seen by Reuters. The company booked early sales of 64,719 cars this way. 'In Neta's case, the company made it clear to dealers that the cars were insured ahead of time and therefore counted as sold,' said the dealer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fears of retaliation from the company. 'We had to explain to buyers that the traffic insurance was complementary and remind them it would expire earlier and should be renewed on time,' he said. But three Neta buyers, who asked not to be named, told Reuters the dealerships had not told them the policies had begun well before the purchase date, only finding out when the policies expired. The dealer said Neta started doing this in late 2022 to obtain EV subsidies that were set to end that year. Neta's sales peaked in 2022 when it was ranked as the eighth-largest maker of new EVs in China with sales of 152,000 vehicles. Sales fell last year to 87,948 vehicles, including 23,399 exported, and it sold 1,215 cars in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The brand has been in financial trouble since late 2024, and its owner, Zhejiang Hozon New Energy Automobile, entered bankruptcy proceedings in China last month, according to state media. 'JUST DO IT' The Neta dealer said many of the zero-mileage used cars he received from the company remained in his warehouse, unsold. The company 'only had one message: Just do it, everyone else is doing it'. Zeekr, which is being privatised by Geely Auto, booked sales with the help of Xiamen C&D, which runs dealerships for Zeekr and other brands. Xiamen C&D insured and registered the vehicles under the names of two subsidiaries in December, allowing Zeekr to count the sales before year-end, according to four dealers and two buyers, as well as a receipt shared with Reuters. Zeekr dealers sold some of the cars in subsequent months to buyers in other cities such as Beijing and Chongqing, the sources said. 'The Zeekr salesman said the car would be 3,000 yuan ($420) less than a car I would get from the store and I would also get a charging coupon worth 10,000 yuan,' said a buyer in another southern city. He declined to be named, citing concerns of retaliation from the automaker. The China Securities Journal reported that most of the owners it spoke to said their cars were insured by Xiamen C&D and its affiliates. China Automobile Dealers Association data showed that 2,508 of the 2,737 sales Zeekr booked in Xiamen in December were sold to companies, while 257 went to individual buyers. But data published by Xiamen's vehicle administration bureau showed just 271 cars registered in December for license plates, which genuine buyers generally obtain once they receive their cars. - Reuters
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘So unpredictable' – Snooker fans baffled as ‘one of more confusing players on the tour' knocks in staggering 147 break
CHINESE snooker star Fan Zhengyi scored the first maximum break of the new 2025 season - after a disappointing year. The world No.48 shocked fans when he hit an incredible 147 at the Championship League in Leicester on Thursday. Advertisement 2 Fan Zhengyi scored an incredible 147 during the first tournament of the new season Credit: X @CLSnooker 2 It was the second maximum break of his young career Credit: X @CLSnooker Fan became only the 38th player in the modern history of the sport to compile multiple maximums, scoring his first at the English Open in 2024. The perfect break came in the second frame of the match which finished 2-2. The highlight of the 147 was a tough cutback yellow to a blind pocket on 120, as he hit the white off three cushions to come back for the green in baulk. David Hendon on commentary said: "First of the season, but we know with the quality of players, it won't be the last. Fantastic from Fan Zhengyi." Advertisement READ MORE SNOOKER But his opponent Xu did not let Fan's effort get to him, as he recovered from 2-0 behind to earn a 2-2 draw in finishing the day unbeaten. However, supporters couldn't believe Fan's achievement after the disappointing year he's had, failing to make it past the last-32 of any competition. One posted on X: "Fan is one of the more confusing players on tour. Looks unbelievable sometimes but really unpredictable. "He's not won a match yet this season, but made a 147. Also lost a frame to Highfield who needed 3 snookers. Tough to predict." Advertisement Most read in Snooker Exclusive Exclusive Exclusive CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS While another added: " Definitely in the top-10 of most confusing players!" It was the 218th 147 in professional snooker history and first of the 2025/26 season. Championship League snooker match awkwardly interrupted by Ice Cream Van But Fan, who has won just three matches this calendar year, was dumped out of the competition with a haul of just two points. Advertisement Xu Si instead topped Group 29 with a record of two wins and a draw, beating Michal Szubarczyk and Liam Highfield before securing a tie with Fan to safeguard his spot in the last 32. The Championship League runs between June 30 and July 23, with 32 groups of four producing 32 winners, who are then split into eight groups of four. Two final groups of four will determine who contests the final on July 23, with the winner earning £33,000 and a place in the Champion of Champions event in Leicester in November. Advertisement List of all-time Snooker World Champions BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year. The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period. 1969 - John Spencer 1970 - 1971 - John Spencer 1972 - Alex Higgins 1973 - Ray Reardon (2) 1974 - Ray Reardon (3) 1975 - Ray Reardon (4) 1976 - Ray Reardon (5) 1977 - John Spencer (2) 1978 - Ray Reardon (6) 1979 - Terry Griffiths 1980 - Cliff Thorburn 1981 - 1982 - Alex Higgins (2) 1983 - Steve Davis (2) 1984 - Steve Davis (3) 1985 - 1986 - Joe Johnson 1987 - Steve Davis (4) 1988 - Steve Davis (5) 1989 - Steve Davis (6) 1990 - 1991 - John Parrott 1992 - Stephen Hendry (2) 1993 - Stephen Hendry (3) 1994 - Stephen Hendry (4) 1995 - Stephen Hendry (5) 1996 - Stephen Hendry (6) 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - Stephen Hendry (7) 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - Mark Williams (2) 2004 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) 2005 - Shaun Murphy 2006 - Graeme Dott 2007 - John Higgins (2) 2008 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (3) 2009 - John Higgins (3) 2010 - Neil Robertson 2011 - John Higgins (4) 2012 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (4) 2013 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (5) 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - Mark Selby (2) 2017 - Mark Selby (3) 2018 - Mark Williams (3) 2019 - 2020 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (6) 2021 - Mark Selby (4) 2022 - Ronnie O'Sullivan (7) 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - Most World Titles (modern era) 7 - Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O'Sullivan 6 - Ray Reardon, Steve Davis 4 - John Higgins, Mark Selby 3 - John Spencer, Mark Williams 2 - Alex Higgins
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Taiwan Fires Javelins, Tanks, Closes Key Bridge for Drills to Stop China Forces From Entering Taipei
A key bridge in the Greater Taipei area was closed on July 15 as part of a military drill simulating Taiwan's efforts to block enemy forces from advancing into the capitalThe exercise, part of the annual Han Kuang drills, simulated a scenario where China's PLA attempted to infiltrate Taipei from nearby New Taipei City using carsTaiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, inspected military drills in New Taipei City as part of the annual Han Kuang exercises on July 9 The army simulated a defence against an invasion by Chinese troops entering the city, responding with tactical resistance, regrouping and retreating with armoured vehicles 0:00 INTRO3:22 LAI OVERSEES DRILLS SIMULATING CHINESE ASSAULT ON TAIPEI4:48 MISSILES, DRONES, COASTAL DEFENSES IN FULL FORCE AS TAIWAN… n18oc_world n18oc_crux
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Chinese restaurant slammed for offering cuddles with LION cubs – and they're not the only wild animals diners can pet
A CHINESE restaurant has been slammed for offering lion cub cuddles alongside afternoon tea - and they are not the only wild animals diners can pet. Patrons at Wanhui Tower, based in Taiyuan city, offers a luxury tea service that includes a "mascot interaction" with lion cubs for a hefty price tag of £124. 7 A Chinese restaurant offers tea time and cuddles with lion cubs for £124 Credit: Xiaohongshu/Daling 7 The eatery has sparked fierce backlash from animal activists Credit: Xiaohongshu/Wanhui 7 The restaurant, named Wanhui Tower, is based in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan Credit: Getty Patrons have been posting selfies cradling the cubs on Chinese social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo, with some boasting they were also able to pet alpacas, deer, llamas and turtles – all while enjoying dessert. But the restaurant's bold move has triggered a flood of criticism and now a formal probe by the Shanxi Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Although Wanhui Tower was granted a licence to breed and display two African lions, authorities said that close human-animal contact is prohibited and that the matter is being handled "urgently" – a phrase in China that often signals looming legal trouble. But the restaurant, located in northern China's Shanxi province, is doubling down. The eatery claimed in a defiant statement: "We operate like zoos – why can't lions be used commercially?" Major animal rights groups have since pounced. Jason Baker, Senior Vice President of PETA, said: "Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. "These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys." Most read in The US Sun He added the cubs were being "treated like nothing more than social media props." Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane World for Animals, warned the stunt was "not only appallingly bad animal welfare, it's also potentially risky for customers." China zoo slammed for painting donkeys black and white to look like zebras in ANOTHER 'fake animal' gaffe 'Even a young lion is capable of lashing out and injuring a human,' he said. 'So, treating wild animals like props is both morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible.' The controversy adds to a growing list of bizarre and troubling wildlife gimmicks at entertainment venues across China. Earlier this year, police in Thailand raided a 'lion café' in Phuket, arresting two Chinese nationals for illegally running a similar pet-a-cub scheme. Guests there could snap photos with lion cubs for £12–£23. Closer to home, a hotel near Chongqing drew fire after offering a 'red panda wake-up call,' where guests could have the wild animals brought into their rooms and allowed to crawl into bed with them. China's zoos, too, are under the microscope. 7 Another Chinese zoo was slammed by visitors after dyeing dogs to look like pandas Credit: Social media 7 Another zoo admitted to painting donkeys to look like zebras Credit: AsiaWire In March, a 'very big cat' incident sparked fury after footage of a shockingly obese black panther at Chengdu Zoo went viral. The panther, aged 16, could barely walk, and social media lit up with criticism over her bloated condition. One commenter quipped: 'I thought she was pregnant, but it turned out that she was overweight. Please ask her to exercise more.' Another zoo in Zibo, Shandong province, was caught painting donkeys with black and white stripes to pass them off as zebras – a stunt staff described as a 'marketing strategy.' Read more on the Irish Sun Earlier this year, staff at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province dyed chow chows to look like tiger cubs in a brazen attempt to fool visitors. The same zoo previously painted puppies to look like pandas. 7 Chengdu Zoo, also in China, was slammed after videos surfaced showing an obese panther 7 Footage shows dogs painted as tigers in the Taizhou Zoo Credit: AsiaWire
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Chinese restaurant slammed for offering cuddles with LION cubs – and they're not the only wild animals diners can pet
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CHINESE restaurant has been slammed for offering lion cub cuddles alongside afternoon tea - and they are not the only wild animals diners can pet. Patrons at Wanhui Tower, based in Taiyuan city, offers a luxury tea service that includes a "mascot interaction" with lion cubs for a hefty price tag of £124. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A Chinese restaurant offers tea time and cuddles with lion cubs for £124 Credit: Xiaohongshu/Daling 7 The eatery has sparked fierce backlash from animal activists Credit: Xiaohongshu/Wanhui 7 The restaurant, named Wanhui Tower, is based in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan Credit: Getty Patrons have been posting selfies cradling the cubs on Chinese social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo, with some boasting they were also able to pet alpacas, deer, llamas and turtles – all while enjoying dessert. But the restaurant's bold move has triggered a flood of criticism and now a formal probe by the Shanxi Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Although Wanhui Tower was granted a licence to breed and display two African lions, authorities said that close human-animal contact is prohibited and that the matter is being handled "urgently" – a phrase in China that often signals looming legal trouble. But the restaurant, located in northern China's Shanxi province, is doubling down. The eatery claimed in a defiant statement: "We operate like zoos – why can't lions be used commercially?" Major animal rights groups have since pounced. Jason Baker, Senior Vice President of PETA, said: "Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. "These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys." He added the cubs were being "treated like nothing more than social media props." Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane World for Animals, warned the stunt was "not only appallingly bad animal welfare, it's also potentially risky for customers." China zoo slammed for painting donkeys black and white to look like zebras in ANOTHER 'fake animal' gaffe 'Even a young lion is capable of lashing out and injuring a human,' he said. 'So, treating wild animals like props is both morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible.' The controversy adds to a growing list of bizarre and troubling wildlife gimmicks at entertainment venues across China. Earlier this year, police in Thailand raided a 'lion café' in Phuket, arresting two Chinese nationals for illegally running a similar pet-a-cub scheme. Guests there could snap photos with lion cubs for £12–£23. Closer to home, a hotel near Chongqing drew fire after offering a 'red panda wake-up call,' where guests could have the wild animals brought into their rooms and allowed to crawl into bed with them. China's zoos, too, are under the microscope. 7 Another Chinese zoo was slammed by visitors after dyeing dogs to look like pandas Credit: Social media 7 Another zoo admitted to painting donkeys to look like zebras Credit: AsiaWire In March, a 'very big cat' incident sparked fury after footage of a shockingly obese black panther at Chengdu Zoo went viral. The panther, aged 16, could barely walk, and social media lit up with criticism over her bloated condition. One commenter quipped: 'I thought she was pregnant, but it turned out that she was overweight. Please ask her to exercise more.' Another zoo in Zibo, Shandong province, was caught painting donkeys with black and white stripes to pass them off as zebras – a stunt staff described as a 'marketing strategy.' Earlier this year, staff at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province dyed chow chows to look like tiger cubs in a brazen attempt to fool visitors. The same zoo previously painted puppies to look like pandas. 7 Chengdu Zoo, also in China, was slammed after videos surfaced showing an obese panther
