Month: July 2019

Huawei Technologies Co said on Tuesday that some US suppliers have been gradually resuming sales to it, but so far the Chinese tech company still did not have access to some crucial US technologies such as the updates of Google’s Android operating system.

The comments came as Huawei announced on Tuesday that it posted 401.3 billion yuan ($58.3 billion) in revenue in the first half of 2019, marking a 23.2 percent year-on-year jump, despite all the restrictions it faces from the United States government.

Liang Hua, chairman of Huawei, said: “We have been working hard to ensure smooth operations, and our organization is as sound as ever. With effective management, our business has remained robust in the first half of 2019.”

The financial performance came as Huawei is facing restrictions from the US government which put the Chinese company on an “Entity List” in May, banning the Chinese tech company from buying US technologies without special government approval.

“The US entity list has had some impact on our development. But both the scope and extent of this impact is controllable. Our core products have not been significantly affected. Our customers still believe in us,” Liang said.

The media recently reported that the US government may grant licenses to some companies to restart new sales to Huawei next month. Reuters reported earlier this month that the US Commerce Department had received applications from more than 35 US companies which are asking for licenses to resume such sales.

Yao Fuhai, chief supplier officer of Huawei, said the Shenzhen-based company has been very grateful to the US suppliers which have supported Huawei while complying the US laws and regulations.

“We welcome the recent positive signals from the US government and wishes it to put into action what it said,” Yao said.

But Liang from Huawei highlighted that the sales of some crucial US technologies, including the Android operating system, have still not been resumed.

“In the second half, Huawei’s overseas smartphone business will still meet some challenges,” Liang said, adding that if Huawei can regain access to the Android operating system, the company will use the system in its smartphones.

But if not, Huawei also has the capability to build its own operating system and relevant ecosystem, the senior executive added.

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Huawei said it will invest 120 billion yuan in research and development this year.

According to him, Huawei’s overseas smartphone business was indeed affected by the US government restrictions, but recently, the business has rebounded back to 80 percent of its performance before Huawei was put on the trade blacklist.

Huawei’s consumer business group accounted for 55 percent of the company’s total half-year revenue, with its domestic smartphone businesses gaining strong momentum in China.

Jia Mo, an analyst at market research company Canalys, said the US government’s ban on Huawei has caused uncertainty overseas, but “in China, it has kept its foot on the accelerator”.

Huawei took a record 38 percent of China’s smartphone market in the second quarter of 2019, signifying the highest market share of any vendor in eight years, according to data released by market research company Canalys on Tuesday.

Huawei’s global mix has shifted back toward China, with 64 percent of its smartphone shipments in the second quarter going to its home market.

An exhibition about the history of Shanghai university museums was held at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom from July 18 to 22.

Titled The Oriental Pearl: Overseas Exhibition of Shanghai University Museums, the exhibition tells the stories of museums at five Shanghai universities-Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Donghua University, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Shanghai Theater Academy.

“The exhibition acts as an open and diverse platform to boost cultural exchanges between Shanghai and Manchester, and to bring Chinese culture to the world,” says Hu Hao, director of the publicity department of the Party Committee at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the organizer of the exhibition.

Hu says that cooperative ties between China and the UK are vital, and expresses the hope that the British people will learn more about Chinese culture through the exhibition.

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Moscow hopes to resume air links after talks with Kiev, which may indicate a shift in Russia’s attitude toward Ukraine, experts said.

Alexsander Neradko, chief of Russia’s air traffic authority Rosaviatsiya, said on Monday, “We have been ready all the way. Now I can confirm the readiness for full-scale talks with the Ukrainian aviation administration on all issues that concern air links and other related matters,” Neradko said, adding that no contacts have started between the neighboring countries.

Earlier, a group of Ukrainian activists addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a request for resuming commercial flights with Russia and lifting the blockade on Crimea. Both petitions were published on the Ukrainian presidential website, according to Russia’s Tass News Agency.

There has been no air transportation service between Russia and Ukraine since 2015 after the Crimea region of Ukraine was incorporated into Russia in March 2014 following a local referendum. Ukraine claims sovereignty over the peninsula.

In September 2015, Ukraine imposed sanctions on more than 20 Russian airlines that ran flights to Crimea, because the country insisted that Crimea was annexed.

In response, Rosaviatsia banned all Ukrainian air carriers from operating flights to Russia.

Russia has had tough relations with its former Soviet satellite countries for years, as Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova seek greater integration with the European Union. All hope for EU membership, said Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian diplomat and now Moscow-based foreign policy analyst.

Georgia and Ukraine are also eager to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Moscow has routinely accused the West of undermining Russia’s security by encroaching on its backyard.

Right now, Russia may show its softer side to its neighbors, because the policy toward those three states hasn’t “exactly worked, not yet” and change may be under way, Frolov said.

He said the Kremlin wants NATO cancel its pledge, made at a 2008 summit, that Georgia and Ukraine will be granted membership in the future. Russia also wants both countries to join the Moscow-led Eurasian Union, instead of the EU.

“So, from hard-hard power they are switching to hard-soft power,” said Frolov, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no hurry as the challenge faced by Ukraine’s new President Zelensky is much bigger than that of his Russian counterpart.

Kirk Bennett, a former US diplomat who served in both Russia and Ukraine, agreed with Frolov, saying that Zelensky inherits the same set of unpalatable options that his predecessor Petro Poroshenko faced with the regard to the simmering conflict in Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Bennett said the comedian-cum-president may have two possible choices: ” (He can) recognize the independence of the Russian-controlled separatist entities and let them go. (Or he can) accept terms for their reintegration into Ukraine that would leave them under Moscow’s effective control and give them a veto over national policy.”

A village continues to draw Manchu descendants from across the country, keen to reconnect to their imperial roots.

On the 13th day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar (June 13 this year), many Manchu people will gather at Puhe village in northeastern Liaoning province’s capital Shenyang.

The day marks the founding of the local ancestral temple and the birthday of Guangong, or Guan Yu, a famous general from Chinese history.

The temple honors Aisin Gioro, the clan of Manchu emperors, and has two tablets displaying the merits of village’s ancestors.

The tablets are centuries-old and have been designated antiques by the local government.

People come to attend a ceremony and worship Guan Yu and their ancestors.

“People were everywhere, and we had to leave our car far away and walk in,” says Shao Fengli, an associate professor from Liaoning University’s College of Liberal Arts.

Shao was there for the celebration last year, which fell on June 26.

About 90 percent of the local villagers are descendants of imperial families of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Locals mostly live on fishing and farming.

“Manchu people value their ancestral culture a lot and are influenced by Confucian ethics,” Shao says.

“Therefore, they uphold loyalty, valiance and filial piety.”

At the event, people dress in typical Manchu attires and wear red flowers on their chest as they wait for the ceremony to begin.

They then kneel when a village elder delivers a ritual speech, which introduces the history of the Manchu and their families.

After the ceremony, villagers light firecrackers and burn incense to pray, followed by folk dancing and distinctive Manchu food.

Visitors can enjoy the colorful ethnic costumes and accessories, as well as exquisite music, getting a full measure of Manchu hospitality during the ceremony.

These activities are carried on by local villagers, and the local government is now planning to help spread the spirit of the ceremony.

Efforts will be put into developing local intangible cultural heritage and tourism next year, according to Shao.

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Welsh superstar’s proposed Jiangsu move is off as agent blames Madrid

The arrival of any foreign player to the Chinese Super League can usually be guaranteed to generate varying degrees of fanfare and excitement from media and fans alike.

Monday’s announcement that journeyman Croatian striker Ivan Santini had joined Jiangsu Suning, however, elicited only disappointment and a sense of anti-climax.

With Santini’s capture filling Suning’s foreign-player quota, the signing signaled the end of the Nanjing-based club’s highly publicized pursuit of Welsh superstar Gareth Bale.

Eagerly anticipated as a massive coup for Suning and the CSL, the deal reportedly would have netted Bale an eye-popping weekly salary of $1.25 million and shifted global glare onto the league like never before.

Instead, Suning has made do with the little-known Santini from Belgian club Anderlecht. Both he and Bale are 30 years old, but there the similarities end－and the gulf in class and star power could hardly be greater.

On Monday, Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, attempted to exonerate his client from any blame for the collapse of the deal.

“Stories suggesting that Gareth or his family were the reason the deal did not take place are completely false,” Barnett told Sky Sports, responding to Spanish reports that Bale’s wife was not so keen on relocating to China.

It is widely believed Madrid president Florentino Perez was the real reason the move collapsed. Perez reportedly would not agree to Bale, who is contracted at the Bernabeu until 2022, leaving for free or for a relatively nominal fee.

The transfer fee or lack of it had been key to the move, given that Suning would have to pay a 100 percent tax in line with CSL rules on imports.

The abrupt end to Bale’s proposed move was all the more surprising given Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had left it in no doubt he wanted the Welsh winger gone, saying before a preseason match last week that Bale’s departure “would be best for everyone”.

Zidane’s very public disdain for Bale drew fresh criticism from Barnett on Monday.

“It’s simple, Zidane doesn’t like Gareth. There’s no relationship between them. There never has been,” the agent said.

“Zidane is a disgrace; he shows no respect for a player that has done so much for Real Madrid.”

Barnett is not the only one somewhat perplexed at Bale’s treatment at Madrid. Since signing from Tottenham for a then world-record fee of around $105 million in 2013, Bale has won four Champions League titles, scoring in two finals－most memorably when his spectacular overhead kick floored Liverpool in the 2018 decider.

Still, Bale remains ostracized by Madrid fans and Zidane, and has now been omitted from the Real squad for Tuesday’s preseason match against Spurs in Munich.

The Spanish giant said on its website that Bale would instead train with injured teammate Luka Jovic.

Speculation over Bale’s future will now inevitably rumble on, but finding a club willing to match his $800,000 weekly salary could be a major stumbling block.

At the time of the writing, rumors continued to swirl that another CSL club, Beijing Guo’an, might still swoop for Bale before the Chinese transfer window shuts on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich, Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been linked with Bale in recent months, although Anfield manager Jurgen Klopp all but ruled out a Reds move last week, telling Sky Sports: “Bale is a Real Madrid player; if he leaves he will be outstandingly expensive, with big wages.

“It’s not just about him. You have to create a team. A team is not a collection of individuals. We are not going for these single players and hoping they will solve the future for us.”

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A more probable destination would be Paris Saint-Germain, especially if Neymar gets his way and returns to Barcelona.

Meanwhile, back at Suning, coach Cosmin Olaroiu will hope that despite his low profile, Santini can hit the ground running to boost the fifth-placed team’s chances for a top-four finish and possible qualification for the Asian Champions League.

The 6-foot-2 forward, who has five Croatian caps, netted 16 times for Anderlecht last term and has also been prolific in recent seasons for Belgian clubs Standard Liege and Kortrijk, as well as Caen in France.

With Argentine Gabriel Paletta expected to leave Suning, Santini completes the team’s four-man overseas player quota, along with fellow new arrival Miranda, Alex Teixeira (both Brazilians) and Italian Eder.

Chasing wins in China while going to school in Florida a daunting task

Just a few months ago, Bai Zhengkai made the difficult decision to forego his senior golf season at the University of Central Florida to turn pro.

After missing the cut at the European Tour’s Volvo China Open in Shenzhen in May, his decision proved a good one.

Bai currently sits 12th on the PGA Tour Series-China order of merit and has one title under his belt – last month’s Huangshan Championship in Anhui province.

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Despite feeling his game is strong enough to play at an elite level, Bai will return to school in the fall, when he plans to balance his studies with playing the final four events of the season in a bid to seal a place on the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour.

Last year, Bai’s compatriot Yuan Yechun finished 25th on the order of merit before battling his way through qualifying to earn a card for the Korn Ferry Tour, where he is currently playing a full season.

Now Bai is looking to emulate his good friend and join Yuan in the US.

“I’m planning to go back to school but I think I can balance the schoolwork and leave to play professional tournaments,” said Bai.

“Even if I get onto the Korn Ferry Tour, I will still keep up with my studies and probably take some online courses.

“Also Yuan is a very good friend of mine and we have both been coached by Sean Foley so it would be great to play together next year.”

Now Bai is aiming for a top-10 finish on the order of merit, which would book him a spot in the final stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Just making it to that stage would guarantee him Korn Ferry membership next year, but a top-45 finish would guarantee him starts.

Bai said he’s ready to make the step up.

“I think my game is really good at the moment. I didn’t have too much expectation before I came to China this summer but I knew my game was good enough to do well here,” he said.

“I think my game is ready for the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I’ve come very close to getting into some events, and I missed the Monday qualifier by one or two shots so I hope I can play there next year. I feel ready.”

Conflict between the Spanish league and its governing body has escalated to a point that the season’s start date remains unclear as we enter August

Barcelona, Real Madrid and the rest of La Liga have found themselves caught up in a fixture feud, as the league’s row with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rages on.

Champions Barca were due to visit Athletic Club on Friday, August 16 to kick the season off, but the RFEF have challenged La Liga’s scheduling and insisted that match will take place on Saturday, August 17 instead.

That isn’t the only game that Spain’s governing body has rescheduled either. They have insisted that all games due to be played on a Friday or a Monday will be moved to a Saturday or a Sunday to suit fans.

“Spanish football fans do not want games on these days,” the RFEF said. “Especially on Mondays, it is very difficult for fans to enjoy games.”

Luis Rubiales, president of the governing body, further emphasised the point on Twitter, sharing pictures of fans opposing the scheduling and writing “there will be no football on Mondays” in block capitals.

La Liga, however, argue that this stance has a negative impact on their broadcast deals around the globe.

“With this illegal conduct, RFEF officials are generating confusion in the national and international broadcast space, which accounts for two billion euro in annual rights income for La Liga,” said the league’s president, Javier Tebas.

“These officials have no idea of the consequences of their irresponsible acts. This has no purpose, nothing will change, this only creates confusion, which is the only thing they know how to do.”

The ongoing conflict leaves Spain’s top flight in a severe mess as the season approaches fast, with a court hearing set for August 7 – just 11 days before Barcelona were meant to get the season under way – to further debate the issue.

La Liga refute the RFEF’s view that they have a say in fixture scheduling, calling the changes an ‘attack’, before adding that they themselves are “the only competent organisation to set schedules and dates in the national professional football competition”.

The statement continues: “Therefore, the schedules already indicated by La Liga for the first days of the competition will be those in which the matches will be played.”

It is just the latest chapter in an ongoing feud between La Liga and the RFEF.

Throughout last season, the pair disputed the idea of playing Spanish football overseas, with La Liga keen to capitalise on foreign interest while the governing body said it wanted to keep the best interests of local fans at heart.

La Liga proposed that Girona’s home match with Barcelona be played in Miami, following an agreement with sports promotion company Relevent, which included one league match a season being staged in the USA.

“For all Spanish football – presidents, managers, fans, players – having a product that is the best league in the world and that is followed all over the world should make us feel very proud,” said La Liga’s director of international development, Oscar Mayo.

“Proud that a market like the US is so interested in taking one game a year, for example. 

“Obviously we have to do it very carefully, take into account the fans, and the first years will not be easy.

“But we are working in little steps and we are working to make it happen.”

The move couldn’t happen without the approval of the RFEF, FIFA, U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF, though. As a result, it failed to materialise, with Rubiales labelling the Relevent deal as “worthless” without support from the governing body.

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“Tebas spoke to everyone except the people he had to speak to,” he told the Guardian.

“It’s a total lack of respect, unfaithful and incomprehensible. This president demands a lot from others when his own behaviour frankly leaves a lot to be desired. We’ve not had even a single call. I haven’t seen the contract.

“Put bluntly, he’s rude,” Rubiales continued. “He has signed an agreement that it is not up to him to sign. What he has signed is worthless. It means nothing without our authorisation.”

Given the RFEF’s opposition to this idea, when it was announced that they had agreed that the 2019 Supercopa de Espana would be extended to a four-team affair, played in January of next year rather than August and moved to Saudi Arabia, La Liga were less than impressed.

As well as Copa del Rey winners Valencia and Liga champions Barcelona, Atletico Madrid will also participate in the competition, having finished second in the league, as will Real Madrid after finishing third.

Marca have reported that the RFEF could sign a six-year deal to make the upcoming 2019 set-up a recurring event too – in a deal worth around €30m (£27.5m/$33.5m).

La Liga have strongly opposed the decision, adding: “This is due to the fact that these types of changes should be agreed to by La Liga as they affect clubs belonging to the league and they imply an important change to the professional competition calendar.”

Mayo has made no secret of his ambition to have La Liga surpass the Premier League’s global brand.

But while the league and the RFEF continue to try and out-do each other, meaning we enter August without a confirmed season start date, that is impossible.

Toni Freixa, a candidate in the 2015 presidential election at the Liga giants, thinks there is more at play in the deal than mere squad-building

Bringing Neymar back to Barcelona would not be in the club’s best interest, according to former board member Toni Freixa.

Freixa was a board member during the presidencies of Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as a candidate during the 2015 presidential election.

Now, after seeing the club already spending big on Antoine Griezmann’s transfer from Liga rivals Atletico Madrid, he does not think that signing another premium forward should be the immediate priority.

“There are many reasons, I could be speaking for half an hour,” Freixa told Goal of why the club should not re-sign Neymar.

“The main one is that Neymar has spent the last two years in the media because of news far away from football. His quality is incredible but he offers a lot of doubts about his future performance.

“We can speak about how he left. He still has a legal demand against Barcelona. If Barcelona is ready to make this kind of investment… after Griezmann we must think about if we need Neymar.

“I believe in projects which look for the pieces they need, not ones that are just focused on players who are good in their own right.

“I can’t understand a project where you are going to add Neymar to a group with Messi, Griezmann, Suarez, Coutinho and Dembele. It doesn’t look reasonable to me.”

Throughout the summer, Neymar has at times seemed on the verge of returning to his old club, while at other points the move has seemed a very long way away .

With the clock now ticking towards the Spanish transfer deadline on September 2, it remains to be seen which colours the Brazilian will be wearing this season.

But, aside from his ability on the pitch, Freixa thinks there is something else at play in pushing these rumours – parties that stand to profit from a deal.

“There’s some intermediary involved in his arrival and departure who is interested in the deal,” Freixa claimed.

“Moving these kinds of players is a big deal and people used to care only about the price.

“You must know how much [is being paid] in commissions. If commissions were transparent we could easily understand a lot of deals not being in a club’s interest but are in a personal interest.

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“Neymar is a clear case to me.”

Part of Freixa’s frustrations stem from concerns about Barcelona’s overall financial health.

While Barca released a statement last year claiming to be the first club to reach €1 billion in revenues during the 2017-18 fiscal year, rising debts have threatened long-term projects at the club .

“There’s no money for rebuilding Camp Nou, offering another contract renewal to Messi and buying Neymar,” Freixa said.

“I am a bit disappointed with the new Camp Nou [project]. I voted five years ago for a project which was supposed to begin three years ago and it hasn’t.

“I understand it is a big job and the club need a lot of cash. I hope they find the money soon because Barcelona needs a top-level ground.”

The Bayern Munich boss has backtracked on his words about the Man City winger after his club’s CEO expressed his displeasure

Niko Kovac says he has apologised to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after publicly stating he was confident Bayern Munich would buy Leroy Sane.

The Bundesliga champions have made no secret of their desire to bring the 23-year-old to the Allianz Arena after he appeared to fall out of favour at the Etihad Stadium towards the end of last season.

Although City’s reported £90 million ($109m) asking price is said to have initially put Bayern off, Kovac recently suggested an agreement could soon be reached, saying: “I am very confident. I assume we can get it [done].”

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, however, revealed his frustration at Kovac’s comments ahead of the Bavarian giants’ thumping 6-1 Audi Cup win over Fenerbahce on Tuesday, telling ZDF : “I did not like what he said.”

The message has clearly got through to Kovac, who revealed after the game at the Allianz Arena that he had spoken to Guardiola and apologised for speaking publicly about his player.

He told ZDF: “We [Bayern and him] talked about it. Maybe I was too offensive in that interview. I talked to Pep and apologised because of it.

“I would like to apologise to the club, too. I will restrain myself in cases like this in the future.”

Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic agreed that Kovac’s comments crossed a line.

“We are all well advised not to talk about other players who are under contract with other clubs,” Salihamidzic said. “That’s why Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said that.”

Bayern were in fine form against their Turkish opponents, racing into a 5-0 lead at the break thanks to goals from Renato Sanches, Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman and two from Thomas Muller.

World Cup winner Muller completed his treble in the second half as Bayern booked their place in the final against Tottenham, who beat Real Madrid earlier on Wednesday.

Muller was introduced in the 20th minute for Serge Gnabry, who appeared to be limping as he went off, but Kovac has confirmed that his withdrawal was merely precautionary.

“Nothing happened to Serge,” he explained. “He got a bit tight on his right thigh. It was just a precaution.”

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The FA have introduced a major new rule for the forthcoming season of grassroots football, and here’s everything you need to know about it

The FA recently announced one of the biggest law changes in grassroots football for a while, with sin bins set to be introduced across all levels from the start of the 2019-20 season.

Goal has rounded up all the important details about the rule change, what sin bins are, what they entail and how they differ from yellow cards.

What are the new changes to grassroots football in 2019-20?

On July 30, the FA announced a major rule change in the introduction of “sin bins”, known as temporary dismissals, as further punishment for dissent made by players towards the referee.

Starting from the 2019-20 season, they will be introduced nationwide up to step five of the National League System for men’s football. They will then be introduced from the third tier and below in women’s football, while there will also be shorter sin bins carried out in youth football.

Sin bins have been implemented in order to lessen the amount of dissent that happens on the pitch, with the FA having trialled the system in 31 leagues between 2017 and 2019.

As a result, 25 of the grassroots leagues had said that they saw an overall decrease in dissent, with 84 per cent of referees, 77% of managers and 72% of coaches in favour of having it introduced permanently.

What are sin bins?

Sin bins are 10-minute dismissals issued to a player by the referee as punishment for dissent.

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Dissent is the act of bad or rude language made by the player aimed at the referee. Examples include shouting at the referee, questioning the referee’s ability, slamming the ball into the ground in anger after a decision and sarcastically clapping a decision.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham stated: “Dissent is a key part of the game that needs to be tackled, and our pilot phase has proved that sin bins work well.

“They allow referees to address incidents of dissent quickly and effectively. The trial showed a huge impact on behaviour that we want to roll out to the whole game and make it more enjoyable for everyone.”

How will sin bins work?

Sin bins will be indicated by the referee, who will show a yellow card while pointing with both arms to the side lines clearly. For 90-minute matches, this results in a 10-minute departure from the pitch, in which time the player is forbidden to be substituted or involved in the game in any manner.

For matches less than 90 minutes, players will spend eight minutes in the sin bin.

They will not replace standard yellow and red cards, and cautions and warnings will continue to be made for unsporting behaviour as well as foul play.

While players are required to play the £10 administration fee when given a caution, there is no cost for temporary dismissals.

Should a player receive a second sin bin in a match, it will result in the player in question being dismissed for an additional 10 minutes – for a 20-minute total – after which they will not be allowed to re-join the match.

They can, however, be substituted if the team has enough available substitutions remaining.

Unlike with cautions, which will continue to be issued for unsporting behaviour and foul play, players will not be required to pay the £10 administration fee for temporary dismissals.

A player who has been temporarily dismissed and commits a further yellow or red card offence whilst in the sin bin cannot participate any longer in the game and cannot be substituted.