Latest news with #Jimu
South China Morning Post
03-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
1 killed and 4 injured after tourist helicopter crashes in Chinese city of Suzhou
A sightseeing helicopter crashed in a newly opened scenic area in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, killing one person on the ground and injuring four on board. Advertisement Friday afternoon's accident happened as the helicopter was coming into land and dropped from a height of about 10 metres (33ft), according to the local emergency services. Officials said the four injured passengers had been taken to hospital and that none was in a critical condition. The person killed was identified as a bystander on the ground, but no further details have been released. The helicopter had been flying over a newly constructed park in the city in Jiangsu, which is one of China's most popular destinations. The park – the Austin Blossom Scenic Area – only opened last week after a three-year construction process. It covers around 20 hectares (50 acres), making it eastern China's largest wisteria rose garden. Advertisement A member of staff at the park, which has been closed until further notice, said the helicopter belonged to a third-party company offering aerial tours, according to a report by Jimu news, an affiliate of the official Hubei Daily.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China unpaid wages case sparks misinformation on city's currency
A screenshot of the vouchers was shared on Chinese platform Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote in English, in a post that joked Changchun was "so awesome it can print its own currency" and that "part of workers' salaries can be paid with it". The January 7 post -- which was later deleted -- showed a photo of a wad of vouchers valued at 50 yuan ($6.90) each. Workers in several Chinese provinces -- including Henan, Hubei and Guangdong -- protested in the lead-up to Lunar New Year celebrations in January for their employers to settle unpaid salaries, according to a database maintained by rights group China Labour Bulletin (archived link). China's top court ordered lower courts to prioritise hearings involving unpaid wages ahead of the holidays and penalise companies that fail to pay workers on time, according to state news agency Xinhua (archived link). China has so far failed to fully rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, with domestic spending mired in a slump and indebted local governments dragging on growth (archived link). The photo spread on Facebook, X and China's version of TikTok Douyin, prompting mockery towards Changchun authorities. "Changchun is independent now," one person commented. "Grain, oil and pork ration vouchers may be introduced in the next stage," another appeared to joke. However, AFP found photos of the same vouchers in articles about a Changchun real estate developer who reportedly dolled them out to staff as a form of payment. The Dazhong Zhuoyue Holdings Group used the vouchers to pay employees' wages instead of cash, Chinese state-affiliated outlet Jimu News reported on January 6 (archive link). Jimu published photos of vouchers for various amounts, including the 50-yuan vouchers seen in social media posts, which show the names of two of the developer's subsidiaries -- Chongqing Road Vitality City Mall and Dazhong Real Estate -- at the top. State-run media outlet Chinese Business Daily published a notice from Dazhong Zhuoyue Holdings Group from December 30, 2024 which said the vouchers could be used to purchase goods and services at shopping malls run by the firm (archived link). The case was widely covered by Chinese-language media, including the Shanghai Observer, Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, which quoted an anonymous employee claiming they received the vouchers in lieu of wages (archived here, here and here). "This is the salary offered by Vitality City Mall. I haven't been paid for three months and this is the salary I got," the worker was quoted as saying in a video posted online. "This is the result of my hard work. It's not cash, but vouchers." The local government was investigating the vouchers after receiving complaints about them, Jimu reported. AFP found no official reports about Changchun issuing its own currency, as of February 10. China's currency is the yuan, officially known as the renminbi, which is issued by China's central bank, the People's Bank of China (archived link). Pictures of legal tender on the bank's website do not include the supposed bills from Changchun (archived here and here).
