Month: July 2019

If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then maybe the same applies to China’s growing number of globe-trotters.

Argentina is banking on the old adage to attract more Chinese tourists, and the strategy is part of “Hilton Huanying” program that derives from the Chinese word “welcome”.

The program is backed by research that revealed the preferences of today’s Chinese travelers, including starting the day with a traditional breakfast featuring a range of rice congee, steamed buns, shrimp dumplings and hard-boiled eggs, among others.

The program is an initiative already in place at more than 150 Hilton hotels around the world, but relatively new to the property in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, the first Latin American city to offer it.

“We are very proud to be part of the Hilton Huanying program here in Buenos Aires,” says Mariano Cannello, director of sales and marketing at Hilton Buenos Aires.

“We see it as a great opportunity to welcome Chinese travelers with the standards of personalized service we know they expect and enjoy,” Cannello adds.

According to the hotel, after the program was launched, bookings by Chinese tourists rose 160 percent per night compared to last year, with an average stay by Chinese tourists of 2.15 nights.

Gonzalo Tordini, head of educational affairs at the Latin American Center on Chinese Political and Economic Studies, says Argentina is keen to tap into China’s booming outbound tourism to help its flagging domestic economy.

“Tourists generate benefits for the countries they visit, being an important source of services’ exports,” says Tordini.

“In 2018, 150 million Chinese traveled abroad as a result of the spectacular rise of the middle class. They seek to learn about other cultures, contemplate new landscapes and have enriching experiences,” Tordini adds.

Buenos Aires is an attractive destination for the Chinese travelers given its culture, cuisine and passion for football. But the country offers a wide variety of sights, such as Patagonia to the south, a region characterized by the beauty of its glaciers, lakes and mountains.

“Argentina has great potential for receiving Chinese tourists. Patagonia, in particular, offers conditions that may be of great interest to Chinese visitors,” says Tordini, whose center signed a cooperation agreement with Ente Patagonia Argentina last year to promote Chinese tourism.

“With impressive landscapes, excellent infrastructure, diverse adventure activities and a hospitable population, Patagonia expects to attract travelers from literally the other side of the world,” says Tordini.

Argentina is also taking other steps to boost tourism from China, including easing the visa application process and working to improve air connectivity.

According to data from the Argentine Ministry of Tourism, between 2011 and 2017 the arrivals of Chinese tourists to Argentina increased steadily, reaching around 60,000 tourists.

In 2017, 10-year visas were issued to Chinese citizens traveling to Argentina for tourism or business purposes.

In August 2018, Chile and Argentina announced an agreement for the reciprocal recognition of visas for Chinese tourists starting January 2019.

“The work that is being done to facilitate visas and improve air connectivity between the two countries will surely further support this effort,” says Tordini.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court cleared the way Friday for the Trump administration to tap billions of dollars in Pentagon funds to build sections of a border wall with Mexico.

The court’s five conservative justices gave the administration the greenlight to begin work on four contracts it has awarded using Defense Department money. Funding for the projects had been frozen by lower courts while a lawsuit over the money proceeded. The court’s four liberal justices wouldn’t have allowed construction to start.

The justices’ decision to lift the freeze on the money allows President Donald Trump to make progress on a major 2016 campaign promise heading into his race for a second term.

Trump tweeted after the announcement: “Wow! Big VICTORY on the Wall. The United States Supreme Court overturns lower court injunction, allows Southern Border Wall to proceed. Big WIN for Border Security and the Rule of Law!”

The Supreme Court’s action reverses the decision of a trial court, which initially froze the funds in May, and an appeals court, which kept that freeze in place earlier this month.

The freeze had prevented the government from tapping approximately $2.5 billion in Defense Department money to replace existing sections of barrier in Arizona, California and New Mexico with more robust fencing.

The case the Supreme Court ruled in began after the 35-day partial government shutdown that started in December of last year.

Trump ended the shutdown in February after Congress gave him approximately $1.4 billion in border wall funding.

But the amount was far less than the $5.7 billion he was seeking, and Trump then declared a national emergency to take cash from other government accounts to use to construct sections of wall.

An apparent carjacking attempt left the two players shaken and their manager said they were better off spending time recovering with their families

Unai Emery revealed that Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac missed Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Lyon because their minds were “not 100 per cent there” following their involvement in an apparent carjacking attempt.

Footage of the incident showed Kolasinac confronting and scaring off two masked attackers who had approached a vehicle driven by Ozil just days before the clash with Lyon at the Emirates Stadium.

While the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette started in a strong Arsenal line-up on Sunday, Emery left Ozil and Kolasinac out of his squad.

Neither player was injured during the incident, but the Spanish manager thought time with their families was more valuable than playing in the game.

“Every player is very important in the team, but also each moment and some circumstances give us a decision between the players and us,” Emery told reporters.

“It’s not a good moment to play because their mind is not now 100 per cent.

“It’s a very personal circumstance and the most important thing now is that they can feel good, they can feel safe, they can feel with their family.”

The Metropolitan Police is investigating the incident in London, which both players referred to in social media posts to reassure fans.

Kolasinac posted a photo of himself with the caption, “Think we’re fine”, while Ozil said he and his family were “doing well again” as he thanked supporters for their well wishes. Ozil’s wife was in the car during the alleged attack.

After Aubameyang scored in the Emirates Cup loss to Lyon, Emery said Ozil and Kolasinac would be back in action soon.

He also said the decision to omit the pair came on the day of the game as both players reported in the morning, but were unready to play.

“They came this morning but I spoke to them and decided it was best to continue resting with their families and wait for a few days to hopefully come and start normally with the team,” he added.

“We are going to see each day. Tomorrow we are going to check again how they are. This morning they came here but weren’t ready to play the match.”

Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign on August 11 away to Newcastle.

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The head coach of the Bundesliga champions believes the Germany international will finally make the move to Bavaria from England

Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac says he remains confident a deal can be done to sign Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.

The 23-year-old has long been associated with a move to the Bavarian giants from the Premier League champions, with Bayern looking to replace legendary widemen Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben who both left the club at the end of last season after long spells filled with trophies.

Kovac has described Sane as Bayern’s ‘dream player’, while club icon Lotthar Matthaus says he could be the new face of the club.

Kovac issued an update on their hunt for the player on Sunday and said the whole club was focused on getting a deal over the line.

“Our club management is very committed behind it and I’m very confident,” the 47-year-old coach told ZDF in Germany. “I assume that we can get it.

“Leroy is a great footballer who has proved that in England and with the national team.”

The proposed move is one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer, and at one point seemed to be totally dead.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness described City’s valuation of the player as “insane” in June, but Kovac’s words on Sunday indicate the hierarchy is still working to find a fee that works for both parties.

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City boss Pep Guardiola has been unequivocal that he wants the Germany international to remain at the Etihad Stadium, next year and in the future.

Sane contributed 10 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League last term as the club swept to their second straight title. However, he seemed to fall out of favour at the end of the season, missing out on some big games in the run-in.

Despite that, Guardiola said he wanted to retain a winger that fits his system and offers ‘special qualities’, but that if the player wanted to leave he couldn’t stand in his way.

City have offered Sane a contract extension, but he has not signed it yet.

His current boss said he would be ‘sad’ if the player left after the speedster starred in a pre-season victory over Kitchee on July 24.

The Red Devils may be one of the richest clubs in the world, but events in the mid-2000s saw a seismic financial shift

Manchester United are one of the most iconic football clubs in the world and decades of consistent success under Alex Ferguson helped increase the value of the institution.

While they have endured a period of instability following Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, the Red Devils remain an attractive partner from a commercial perspective and the money continues to roll in.

Concerns regarding debt, however, have been aired frequently over the course of the past decade, with some supporters voicing opposition to the club’s current leadership.

Are Manchester United in debt?

Manchester United are in debt and the club’s net debt as of March 31, 2019 was £301.7 million ($373m). That figure has increased by around £400,000 ($490k) on the previous year.

The club had been debt-free until 2005, but debt has risen and fallen since then, reaching a peak of nearly £778 million in 2010.

Why are Manchester United in debt?

Manchester United’s colossal debt is the result of the takeover of the club by the Glazer family in 2005.

The Glazer takeover of the Premier League giants was controversial because it loaded £525 million of debt onto the club – through loans secured against its assets – in a move known as a ‘leveraged buyout’.

Prior to the purchase, Manchester United had been debt free.

A refinancing of the debt occurred in 2010 when it had risen to over three-quarters-of-a billion pounds.

Man Utd fan protests against the Glazers

The takeover of Manchester United by the Glazers and the subsequent debt has been a sore point for many Red Devils fans.

Before the 2005 sale of the club, fans were vocal in their opposition and protests became much more pronounced following the completion of the takeover.

Fan groups united under the banner ‘Love United, Hate Glazer’ (LUHG) and began wearing green and gold – the traditional colours of the club before the adoption of red – in a striking visual protest.

Boycotts took place, with some fans opting against renewing their season tickets, while others went even further by establishing their own breakaway club, FC United of Manchester.

Anti-Glazer demonstrations were at their most pronounced in 2010, when the club’s level of debt was at its worst.

Indeed, Red Devils hero David Beckham was famously seen wearing a green and gold scarf after a 2010 meeting between AC Milan and Manchester United.

Protests have died down somewhat in recent years, but they still take place.

How much are Manchester United worth?

According to Forbes, Manchester United were worth $3.8 billion (£3bn) in May 2019, which made them the third most valuable football club in the world, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The $3.8bn valuation was down eight per cent on their worth for the previous year as they topped the 2018 list with a value of $4.1bn.

Commercial deals ($1.4bn) and broadcasting revenue ($1.3bn) contribute the bulk of the wealth, accounting for a combined 71.1 per cent of the club’s value in 2019 figures.

Beyond that, matchday income from gate receipts and corporate hospitality generates $655m (£530m), while the remaining $444m comes from the power of their brand.

Despite their 2019 drop, the Red Devils have consistently placed in the top three of Forbes‘ list alongside Real and Barca since 2007, topping it on eight occasions.

They were ranked number one from 2007 to 2012 and returned to the summit in 2017 and 2018.

Their fluctuation in recent years is largely down to a relative lack of on-field success, with Champions League football no longer a given as it was during Alex Ferguson’s tenure.

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The Borussia Dortmund captain and Liverpool’s Champions League-winning manager have been honoured with prestigious accolades in Germany

Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus has been named Footballer of the Year in Germany for the second time in his career.

The Association of German Sports Journalists, in conjunction with football magazine Kicker, gave Reus 150 of the 540 votes cast to place him ahead of Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Kai Havertz and Bayern Munich full-back Joshua Kimmich.

Reus’ former Dortmund boss, Jurgen Klopp, earned the Coach of the Year title after leading Liverpool to glory in the Champions League.

The accolades are considered the most prestigious of their kind in Germany, and this latest honour holds particular value for 30-year-old winger Reus, who battled back from an injury riddled 2017-18 season to score 21 competitive goals for BVB last term.

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“It’s nicer than it was then, a different feeling to seven years ago,” Reus said after adding to the 2012 award he claimed for his performances for previous club Borussia Monchengladbach.

“If you’re a player with only three or four years left, you celebrate success a little more emotionally than before and enjoy the whole thing more.

“It is difficult to come back after an injury as serious as my cruciate ligament rupture in 2017 and become Footballer of the Year, which makes me proud and shows that I have taken a good path after my injury.”

Reds manager Klopp is now a three-time Coach of the Year winner – a feat previously only achieved by Felix Magath.

The European champion made for an obvious choice as he finished 44 votes clear of second-placed Friedhelm Funkel, the mastermind behind Fortuna Dusseldorf’s unexpected 10th-place finish in the Bundesliga.

Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Adi Hutter pipped Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac to third.

Klopp said: “I know who I owe this great award to: my team and my coaching team. Only as a collective can we achieve the successes we have achieved.

“I am also happy for Friedhelm Funkel and Adi Hutter, whose great work has been recognised.”

Klopp secured Liverpool’s sixth European Cup/Champions League title in early June by masterminding a 2-0 win over fellow Premier League side Tottenham in the final in Madrid.

Beijing and Shanghai were crowned as the richest cities in China, according to a report issued Monday by Chinese financial news outlet Yicai.

The list, which measures total deposit balances held by all financial institutions or total capital amount, indicates the performance of economic growth in certain regions or cities.

Beijing and Shanghai were way ahead of other cities, for the two surpassed 10 trillion yuan ($1.45 trillion) in total capital amount.

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Statistics showed that by the end of 2018, Beijing and Shanghai’s deposit balances in renminbi and foreign currencies totaled 15.71 trillion yuan and 12.11 tillion yuan in domestic and foreign financial institutions, an increase of 1.34 trillion yuan and 865.44 billion yuan, respectively, over the beginning of the year.

Shenzhen took the third spot with 7.26 trillion yuan, followed by Guangzhou with 5.48 trillion yuan, the report said.

Compared with Guangzhou, Shenzhen has a larger economic aggregate and faster economic growth rate, as well as the improved contribution and proportion of financial industry in its economy highlighted by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and a large number of listed companies, said Peng Peng, vice chairman of the Guangdong Society of Economic Reform.

The development of Shenzhen’s high-tech industries, and its much higher housing prices, also contribute more capital amount in the city, Peng said.

In terms of the growth rate of total capital amount in the past six years, eight cities in China had seen an over 100 percent growth, namely Shenzhen, Guiyang, Hefei, Changsha, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xiamen and Wuhan.

Among them, Shenzhen ranked first with a growth rate of 180 percent, followed by Guiyang (158 percent) and Hefei (127 percent). Capital cities in central and western China, like Guiyang, Hefei, Changsha and Wuhan, performed well in growth, especially those in provinces with fast economic growth.

From a regional perspective, cities from the southwestern and south-central parts of the country witnessed faster growth in capital amount, which also was related to regional economic growth.

The upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River have enjoyed the fastest economic growth in China recent years, the report said, especially Guizhou province and Chongqing in the upstream, and Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan provinces in the middle stream.

American textile and apparel companies are taking a wait-and-see approach to business with their Chinese partners amid the US-China trade dispute.

“Because the US consumers won’t want to pay more, we needed to source our products to make sure that we are competitive in the market, so we had to slow down our business with China,” said Joey Baxter, an importer and manufacturer for the dress brand JAX in New York.

Baxter spoke with China Daily during the 2019 Texworld USA, Apparel Sourcing USA and Home Textiles Sourcing Expo, which started Monday and will conclude on Wednesday, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York,

“I think the trade deficit with China and the US is going to be resolved eventually,” Baxter said. “Unfortunately, it’s taking longer than expected.”

“We are very much against the trade barriers,” said Detlef Braun, a member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH, organizer of the expo. “We are here for free trade; we are against protectionism,” he said.

He said Chinese textile companies have had to raise prices due to the tariffs. “Some of the markets are getting unattractive for us, and consequently, the business would be damaged,” Braun said.

“So far, the US market is a very attractive market, the demand for Chinese products is still very high, but if these trade tariffs continue to grow, then there could be a certain point where this market is losing attractiveness,” he said.

More than 800 textile and apparel companies from 17 countries and regions, including China, the US, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Colombia and Portugal were represented.

From China, 545 textile and garment enterprises from 19 provinces attended as part of the 20th session of the China Textile & Apparel Trade Show.

In April 2018, the US announced a list of increased tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese goods at a rate of 25 percent. Textiles and apparel were not on the list.

But three months later, the US expanded the tariff list to $200 billion worth of Chinese goods at a rate of 10 percent. In May, that tariff was increased to 25 percent.

Among the items listed were more than 1,000 textile and apparel products, such as yarns, fabrics, carpets, industrial textiles and leather. Clothing such as knitwear, woven garments, footwear and home textiles was not included.

Xu Yingxin, vice-chairman of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, said China’s exports of textiles to the US has been affected by the tariffs at different levels, and if they continue, China’s competitiveness in textile exports would decline, Xu said.

According to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, China exported $45.64 billion worth of textiles, apparel and clothing materials to the US in 2017, 16.9 percent of the total export value of textiles and apparel.

According to the US Department of Commerce, in January and February 2018, the US imported 35.8 percent of its textiles and apparel from China. That was a 1.45 percent decrease compared with 2015, while source countries such as Vietnam and India saw increases.

Mark Baker, CEO of Truth of Touch Apparel in New York, has done business with China for almost 20 years, which he described as “very good.” But he said the tariffs have added “uncertainty” to the business.

Tanner Evans, owner of an apparel factory in New York, said the current trade friction has slowed business with China.

“A lot of my customers are uncertain what’s going to happen with the duties, tariffs. Everybody is scared,” he told China Daily. “I think our country and China maybe should come to an agreement so there are more fair trade practices between the two countries.”

Gu Chunfang, commercial counselor for the Consulate General of China in New York, said the value of textiles and apparel trade between China and the US increased from $9.95 billion in 2003 to $49.7 billion in 2018.

From 2010 to 2018, the average annual growth of US textile and apparel imports from China was 0.7 percent.

In 2018, China’s overall outbound investment in the textile industry slowed, but outbound investment in the US increased 20.7 percent over 2017.

From 2015 to 2018, China’s cumulative direct investment in the US reached $214 million.

“Over the past two decades, the cooperation between China and the United States in the textile industry has reached unprecedented depth and breadth,” she said.

Xu Yingxin said China’s textile industry now is the world’s largest in scale and most comprehensive in capacity, covering the whole value chain, from raw materials, R&D, textile processing, apparel manufacturing and operations, and retail.

2018 saw China process 54.6 million tons of fiber, half the world’s total, and export $276.73 billion in textiles and apparel, 36 percent of the world total.

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The 29-year-old felt it was time for a move in search of more playing time as he hopes to keep his England career going

Fabian Delph says he made the decision to leave Manchester City in hopes of boosting his chances of playing for England. 

Delph completed an £8.5 million ($11m)​ move to Everton last week, ending a four-year run with the City side he joined in the summer of 2015. 

Having won the Premier League twice with the Manchester club, Delph made the decision to leave in search of more regular playing time this summer, with Everton his landing spot heading into the new season as he hopes to keep his place in the England squad. 

“From a personal point of view, I felt it was time for a change,” he said to The Daily Mail. “I could have stayed there. They were happy with me. I wasn’t told to leave. I played quite a key role within that squad.

“I had a fantastic four years there, thoroughly enjoyed it, but I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to play more football.

“Playing for England is massive for me, so if I’m playing more regularly, there’s more chance of me being selected.

“I’ve got a great relationship with Gareth [Southgate] and the England lads, we’re a really close group. The mentality there is fantastic.”

Delph has been a regular for England under Southgate and started the Nations League semi-final loss to the Netherlands earlier this summer.

The move to Everton should offer a regular starting spot for the 29-year-old, though it also brings an adjustment to a new manager. 

And while Delph was impressed with Pep Guardiola’s style at his old club, he claims training under his new boss Marco Silva is tougher than it was with the Premier League champions. 

“The volume is a lot higher, we cover a lot more distance,” he said. “There’s a lot more intensity and you definitely feel like you’ve worked come the end of the day.

“I love it. There’s nothing worse for me than going home with energy.

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“City’s training is very good, it’s shorter and sharper and is the way the manager likes the lads to play.”

Having drawn 0-0 with Wigan on Tuesday, Everton will take on Werder Bremen in a pre-season friendly on Aug. 3 before facing their first Premier League test of the season against Crystal Palace a week later. 

 

The Anfield boss says his former player would be a help to the Reds, but claims the Premier League side cannot afford to bring the Brazilian back

Philippe Coutinho​ will not be heading back to Liverpool this summer, with manager Jurgen Klopp claiming a move for the Barcelona star “is just not possible” at this stage. 

The Brazilian left the Reds for Barcelona in a massive £142 million ($201m) deal in January 2018, but his time with the Spanish giants has not been easy. 

The midfielder has failed to settle with the Blaugrana​ and the club are reportedly looking to move him on this summer in hopes of funding a move for his Selecao team-mate Neymar. 

Liverpool are among the clubs to have been linked with a move for their former star, but Klopp has emphatically ruled out any such transfer business for his club this summer. 

“In general, Phil Coutinho helps each team in the world, still – 100 per cent,” Klopp told ESPN. “It’s not about that.

“I like Phil, I think he’s a fantastic footballer and all that stuff, but it would be a big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big-money signing and it’s not our year for that.

“It’s just not possible. As I said, having him would make each team better – us included – but I really hope that he finds his luck at Barcelona.

“Or maybe he found it there. We have contact, but not that close contact that I know exactly how he is doing, but the rest is only newspaper talk and stuff like that.

“If everything was true what newspapers write about me – wow! If it’s similar to what they write about me, I would say he’s completely happy at Barcelona and wants to sign a new six-year contract or whatever.”

Coutinho moved to Liverpool from Inter in 2013 and was a very productive member of the side under Klopp, who took charge in 2015. 

He netted 13 goals league goals in the 2016-17 Premier League season and scored seven times in the first half of the next season before making the move to Barcelona despite tension between player and club following a rejected transfer request. 

And while the 27-year-old has struggled for form with Barcelona, he showed his quality for Brazil this summer, helping lead his nation to the Copa America crown on home soil despite playing without the injured Neymar. 

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