Hi everyone. I’m Stephanie LI.
大家好，我是主持人李莹亮。
Coming up on today’s program.
重点提要
-China fully prepares for the implementation of RCEP, the world’s largest free trade agreement;
-SenseTime shares jumps 23% in Hong Kong debut.
Here’s what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours
中国经济要闻
China is ready to implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which will come into effect on January 1, 2022, starting a new era for the world’s biggest trading bloc.
The RCEP covers a market of 2.2 billion people with a combined economic size of $26.2 trillion, or 30 percent of the world's GDP. A total of 15 Asia-Pacific countries signed the RCEP agreement in 2020, including 10 members of ASEAN and five of their largest trading partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Chinese commerce ministry official said on Thursday that the rolling out of a unified general market under the RCEP agreement will effectively offset the negative impact brought about by the pandemic on the economy and increase the confidence of industries and enterprises to carry out trade and investment.
China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Wednesday that it has completed preparations for implementing 174 obligations involving China under RCEP. The number of regulatory certificates required for import and export inspection has been cut from 86 in 2018 to 41, and 38 kinds of regulatory documents can be cleared online through a "single window”.
The agreement will affect trade in goods, investment and markets between member countries. Over 90 percent of goods will eventually enjoy zero tariffs, negative list approach will be adopted to advance investment liberalisation, and each member country will open up markets in at least 100 sectors.
"When RCEP comes into force, it will give a strong boost to economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, promote post-epidemic recovery, and become a new engine for regional and global economic growth,” Deng Xijun, China's Ambassador to ASEAN, said in an exclusive interview with the 21st Century Business Herald.
Liu Yingkui, vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), pointed out that the RCEP will facilitate the establishment of a new free trade agreement on a larger scale, and pave the way to a deal that covers the entire Asia-Pacific region.
RCEP时代即将开启。
作为目前全球最大的自贸协定，RCEP（区域全面经济伙伴关系协定）即将于明年1月1日正式生效。
今天，国新办政策吹风会上，商务部相关负责人介绍了高质量实施RCEP促进外贸平稳发展有关情况。商务部表示，RCEP对我国构建新发展格局具有重大意义。第一，协定实施是我国对外开放新的里程碑。RCEP是全面、现代、高质量的自贸协定，将促进我国实现更好水平制度型开放，更好参与区域产业链供应链融合发展和一体化大市场建设。第二，协定实施为构建新发展格局提供有力支撑。RCEP将成为我国连接国内国际双循环的纽带和桥梁，使国内国际两个市场、两种资源更加紧密相连，国内规则和国际规则更有效衔接，开放创新更有活力。第三，协定生效将大大提振疫情背景下经济复苏的信心。RCEP区域统一大市场开始运转，将有效对冲新冠疫情给经济带来的负面影响，提振产业和企业开展贸易和投资信心，为我国经济增长注入新的动力。
目前，RCEP成员有中国、日本、韩国、澳大利亚、新西兰5国以及东盟10国，15个成员国总人口、经济体量、贸易总额均占全球总量约30%。RCEP的生效实施，标志着全球人口最多、经贸规模最大、最具发展潜力的自由贸易区正式落地。
据海关总署介绍，2020年，中国对其他14个RCEP成员国进出口总值10.22万亿元人民币，占同期进出口总值的31.7%。今年1-11月，中国对RCEP其他14个成员国进出口总值10.96万亿元，占外贸总值的31%。
RCEP协定将在关税、服务贸易及投资领域发挥作用。协定生效后，已核准成员之间90%以上的货物贸易将最终实现零关税。在服务贸易领域，各国在RCEP项下的开放涵盖金融、电信、交通、旅游、教育等多个重要领域，并将在生效6年内全面转为负面清单。在投资领域，各成员对非服务业投资采用负面清单方式作出了高质量承诺，清单之外不得新增限制，同时加强了投资保护水平，有利于区域内各国企业相互扩大投资，也有利于中国企业“走出去”。
“RCEP生效将有力促进亚太区域经济一体化，推动疫后经济恢复和增长，成为地区和全球经济增长的一个新引擎。”中国驻东盟大使邓锡军在接受21世纪经济报道记者独家专访时表示。
中国贸促会研究院副院长刘英奎接受21世纪经济报道记者专访时指出，可以把RCEP看作亚太自贸区协定的一次预演和前奏，或者也可看成是其一个组成部分。RCEP的达成有利于推动在更大范围搭建一个新的自贸协定。
Update on COVID-19
疫情简报
Mainland China reported 156 domestic cases on Wednesday, with 155 in Xi’an. The city’s latest outbreak has recorded 1117 cases so far, and a sixth round of citywide testing has gone underway.
12月29日，全国新增本土病例156例（陕西155例，均在西安市；广西1例，在防城港市）。从12月9日0时到12月29日24时，本轮西安全市累计报告本土确诊病例1117例。西安从12月29日开始，启动全市第六轮核酸筛查。
Next on industry and company news
产经消息及公司新闻
SenseTime Group debuted today with shares jumped as much as 23 percent from their IPO price in Hong Kong. The Chinese AI start-up raised US$740 million in its IPO and priced its shares at HK$3.85 (US$0.4937) each. The stock finished at HK$4.13, up 7.27 percent.
商汤首发一度涨超20%：12月30日，商汤正式登陆港交所，开市后，商汤高开高走，一度升逾20%，股价高见于每股4.74港元。该股发行价为每股3.85港元。12月29日清晨，商汤公布招标结果，共募得57.75亿港元。商汤首日最终收报4.13港元，涨7.27%。
China's ride-hailing firm Didi Global on Wednesday reported a 30.6 billion yuan loss and revenue fell 1.7 percent for the third quarter amid regulatory crackdown. The company also announced that Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, who had served as a director on Didi's board has resigned, succeeded by Yi Zhang, a senior legal director of Alibaba.
滴滴上市后首份财报：12月30日，滴滴出行发布今年第二、第三季度财报。财报显示，滴滴三季度总营收为426.75亿元人民币，同期下降2%；归属于股东的净亏损306亿元。公布业绩同时，滴滴还宣布了高层管理人员的变动，阿里巴巴集团的CEO张勇已辞任滴滴董事职位。阿里高级法务总监、阿里本地生活公司法律总顾问张毅为新任董事。
China’s Tsinghua Unigroup won backing from creditors and shareholders to advance a restructuring plan that will bring in strategic investments of 60 billion yuan to restructure the debt-ridden chip conglomerate.
紫光破产重整通过：12月29日，紫光集团等实质合并重整案第二次债权人会议暨出资人组会议举行，重整计划获表决通过。紫光重整草案版本显示，紫光集团重整投资方由智路资本和建广资产牵头，长城资产、湖北科投、珠海华发和河北产投等组成联合体，出资600亿元承接重整后的紫光集团全部股权。
Shares of New Oriental Education and Technology Group shed another 9.75 percent today after cascading over 20 percent on Wednesday, following the firm’s first live-streamed e-commerce show that only sold about 4.6 million yuan of farm produce.
新东方在线大跌20%：新东方的转型首秀并未得到资本市场的青睐，12月29日，新东方在线开盘迅速跳水，收盘大跌超20%，今日继续下挫9.75%。12月28日晚，俞敏洪开启直播带货平台“东方甄选”首秀，在长达3小时的直播过程中，销售额仅约460万元。
JD.Com’s shares fell 2.2 percent in Hong Kong yesterday after the Chinese e-commerce giant’s board approved a 50 percent increase in its existing stock buyback plan. The Beijing-based company said it will spend as much as $3 billion to repurchase its own shares.
京东扩大股份回购至30亿美元：12月29日，京东集团发布公告称，公司董事会已批准修改现有股份回购计划，将回购计划授权由20亿美元增至30亿美元，并延长至2024年3月17日。消息发布后，昨天京东港股股价收跌2.2%，今日回涨1.8%。
A cosmetics business founded by Chinese-Taiwanese actor Kevin Lin and his wife Zhang Ting is under investigation by market regulator in northern China for running suspected pyramid scheme, with 600 million yuan of its assets being frozen.
“微商第一品牌”涉传销被查：近日，石家庄市裕华区市场监督管理局公开披露了由林瑞阳、张庭夫妇创立的“TST庭秘密”运营主体达尔威公司涉嫌利用网络从事传销活动被查处的进展。该局早在今年6月就已对该公司立案调查，相关人员曾表示，此次被财产保全冻结的资金高达6亿元。
Switching gears to the financial sector
金融市场要闻
China’s top securities regulator disclosed Wednesday that five staff members of China’s leading investment bank CICC had failed to adequately carry out due diligence in assessing Lenovo’s eligibility for the STAR Market and were summoned to regulatory talks.
中金公司被证监会谈话：12月29日晚间，中国证监会官网公布了对中金公司及其相关责任人采取监管措施。因联想科创板IPO保荐未尽责，中金公司及5名责任人被证监会监管谈话。
Wrapping up with a quick look at the stock market
最后来看股市收盘情况
China stocks rebounded on Thursday with culture and communication stocks leading the gains, and MetaVerse related sectors jumped. The Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Component ended up 0.62 percent and 0.97 percent respectively, and the Hang Seng Index also rose 0.11 percent.
周四A股集体收涨。沪指收涨0.62%，深成指涨0.97%。文化传媒等板块涨幅居前，元宇宙概念及相关的板块大幅拉升。港股恒生指数涨0.11%，Saas概念股走高。
Biz Word of the Day
财经词汇划重点
A pyramid scheme is a business model where a few top-level members recruit newer members, who pay upfront costs up the chain to those who enrolled them. Pyramid scheme funnels are often associated with fraudulent operations.
传销是指组织者或者经营者发展人员，通过对被发展人员以其直接或者间接发展的人员数量或者销售业绩为依据计算和给付报酬，或者要求被发展人员以交纳一定费用为条件取得加入资格等方式牟取非法利益，扰乱经济秩序，影响社会稳定的行为。