https://www.scmp.com/rss/330916/feed China’s government has started developing a “social credit system” which some observers believe will increase the collection and sharing of data about Chinese citizens, public officials and companies. Meant to improve governance and market order, the system is being tested using “blacklists” – or, in some communities, point “scores” – to incentivise citizen and corporate behaviour. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang Few outside China might know that e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com host the country’s largest online platforms for distressed property sales. On any given day, their auction websites offer a front-row view of China’s housing downturn where properties are foreclosed and liquidated under court orders, often at market-shaking discounts. A month ago, 66 flat units in a Shanghai project owned by indebted developer Sunac were put up for auction after being seized by courts. Buyers were found but... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330176/amid-wave-foreclosures-chinas-homeowners-could-use-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330176/amid-wave-foreclosures-chinas-homeowners-could-use-break?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:30:07 +0000 China has further solidified its decade-long social credit initiative by unveiling 23 new guidelines, including plans for government and enterprise credit ratings, along with rewards and punishments. The document, issued by the State Council on Monday, is designed to create a “fair and orderly competitive market environment”, building on the social credit system first outlined in 2014. Compared with traditional financial creditworthiness, the concept of social credit encompasses a much broader... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3304748/chinas-complex-social-credit-system-evolves-23-new-guidelines-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3304748/chinas-complex-social-credit-system-evolves-23-new-guidelines-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:12:42 +0000 China’s economy is undergoing a profound transformation, marked by a series of reforms and stimulus measures aimed at stabilising growth and charting a course for sustainable development. While these initiatives represent a significant step forward, they are just the opening moves in a more complex and nuanced economic strategy. The path to sustainable growth in China requires a multifaceted approach that extends far beyond immediate fiscal and monetary interventions. It must address fundamental... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3281644/chinas-stimulus-measures-just-first-step-economic-reform-journey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3281644/chinas-stimulus-measures-just-first-step-economic-reform-journey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:30:09 +0000 It is easier to talk about what China’s social credit system is not than what it is. Ever since 2014, when a six-year plan to create a system to reward actions that build trust in society and penalise those that do the opposite, it has been one of the most misunderstood aspects of China in Western discourse. Now, new documents released in November 2022 provide an opportunity to set the record straight. For most outside China, the words “social credit system” instantly conjure up images of a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3205829/how-chinas-social-credit-system-actually-works-its-probably-not-how-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3205829/how-chinas-social-credit-system-actually-works-its-probably-not-how-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 23:45:11 +0000 Christian Hammack stands outside city hall and surveys his kingdom – cars at rest. The Redwood City parking manager has spent years helping transform this California city of 84,000 people near San Francisco into a model of smart city technology. Parking, however smart, may seem dull. But Redwood City’s hi-tech system is helping revitalise the downtown area, increase business and tax revenue and reduce congestion, pollution and accidents, even as powerful smart city tools raise concerns. Loosely... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3183374/us-smart-city-tech-highlights-contrasts-china-over-privacy-and-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3183374/us-smart-city-tech-highlights-contrasts-china-over-privacy-and-control?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 21:58:52 +0000 Few things in life are truly indispensable, but in pandemic-era China the national health QR code system known as jiankang ma is an innovation that no ordinary citizen can live life without. The ubiquitous health QR codes, which people are required to scan before taking public transport or entering public spaces, have proved to be one of the most powerful tools in China’s antivirus arsenal – allowing the authorities to effectively track and control people’s movements to help curb the spread of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3182072/chinas-covid-19-health-code-system-ripe-abuse-and-must-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3182072/chinas-covid-19-health-code-system-ripe-abuse-and-must-not?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jun 2022 01:00:16 +0000 The “normal” life Hong Kong authorities have promised as the number of Covid-19 cases eases is happening as promised. Swimming pools and beaches have reopened and, on Thursday, restaurant hours are due to be extended to midnight while bars, nightclubs and karaoke venues can resume operations with a 2am closing time. I’ve missed swimming and being able to listen to live music. But these are just incremental steps; scrapping face masks in public and ending quarantine for overseas travellers are... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3177791/hong-kong-has-covid-19-under-control-its-time-drop-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3177791/hong-kong-has-covid-19-under-control-its-time-drop-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 May 2022 01:45:18 +0000 The world’s first international ethics guidelines for artificial intelligence, which ban the technology’s use for “social scoring or mass surveillance purposes”, have been adopted by a United Nations specialised agency that AI powerhouses the United States and Israel withdrew from in 2018. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), which has 193 member states and is widely credited for protecting landmarks known as World Heritage Sites, said the guidelines... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157378/un-agency-pushes-global-ai-ethics-norm-bans-use-technology-social?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:00:28 +0000 Late on Wednesday in a former steel factory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the European Union and United States unveiled an alliance to sharpen their modern arsenals for tackling China on trade and technology. The agreement, however, was reached only after some last-minute haggling and a diplomatic stand-off involving France and the US. The United States-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC), first announced in June, aims to reduce its members’ shared reliance on China’s manufacturing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3150644/us-eu-meet-forge-trade-and-tech-alliance-reduce-dependence-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3150644/us-eu-meet-forge-trade-and-tech-alliance-reduce-dependence-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:45:06 +0000 One hundred years ago, a handful of young pioneers helped form the Chinese Communist Party in search of a way out of the country’s myriad troubles at the time, including a corrupt dictatorship, poverty and foreign invasion. Yesterday, President Xi Jinping, party general secretary, led the nation in celebrating the centenary of their vision which, finally, has been fulfilled under 72 years of party rule with victory over absolute poverty earlier this year. The founders, including Mao Zedong,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139506/communist-party-rule-steadfast-confident-xi-tells-nation-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3139506/communist-party-rule-steadfast-confident-xi-tells-nation-and-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 15:54:34 +0000 The retirement age for women in China is lower than that of men, reflecting work and child care burdens from decades ago. As China’s population ages and its work force declines, the retirement age gap is coming under scrutiny, with changes possible in the near future. This is the first of a series of stories on women’s issues in China and Asia to coincide with International Women’s Day. Amid growing concern about a demographic crisis, China is moving closer to narrowing the age of retirement... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3124112/china-population-beijing-mulls-eliminating-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3124112/china-population-beijing-mulls-eliminating-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Mar 2021 10:45:41 +0000 Beijing’s next major economic target after poverty alleviation could be reducing income inequality, based on officials’ speeches and government documents published over the past few weeks. But how exactly officials plan to do that is the trillion-dollar question. In a speech delivered at the Communist Party’s Central Party School this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the importance of “common prosperity”, saying it is not only an economic issue but also a major political issue... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3117755/chinas-xi-jinping-talks-common-prosperity-rich-get-richer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3117755/chinas-xi-jinping-talks-common-prosperity-rich-get-richer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jan 2021 10:00:42 +0000 A Chinese court’s decision to punish a nine-year-old girl for failing to repay her dead father’s debts has triggered heated debate about the growing reach and power of the country’s judicial system. The punishment also prompted concerns about the country’s burgeoning social credit system. The social credit system is similar to a credit-scoring system. It punishes individuals and businesses that fail to follow rules and regulations and rewards those who perform actions deemed beneficial to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3115133/nine-year-old-found-liable-court-dead-fathers-debts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3115133/nine-year-old-found-liable-court-dead-fathers-debts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Dec 2020 12:45:15 +0000 A 9-year-old schoolgirl in China found herself caught up in the country’s burgeoning national social credit system, prompting concerns that the scheme’s wide net may unwittingly capture the wrong people.  In November, the girl, named Chen Man, was banned by a local court in Henan from doing “high-level consumption” activities, which include flying, travel by high-speed rail and checking into hotels - not typical activities for a kid. The girl appears to have been caught up in China’s social... https://www.scmp.com/society/courts-punishment-9-year-old-girl-highlights-concern-chinas-expansive-social-credit-system/article/3114954?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/courts-punishment-9-year-old-girl-highlights-concern-chinas-expansive-social-credit-system/article/3114954?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Dec 2020 11:02:45 +0000 China’s central bank is on track to set up the country’s second personal credit ratings agency, one that is backed by Xiaomi Corp, JD.com’s financial technology business and artificial intelligence unicorn Megvii. The People‘s Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement on December 4 that it had accepted the application of Pudao Credit Rating Co for such a licence and initiated a seven-day period to solicit public opinion, which concludes on December 10. Beijing Financial Holdings Group, a company... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3113198/xiaomi-jdcom-backed-firm-track-become-chinas-second-personal-credit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3113198/xiaomi-jdcom-backed-firm-track-become-chinas-second-personal-credit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 08:42:12 +0000 This is the second in a five-part series looking at China’s fintech industry in the wake of the decision by regulators to suspend the initial public offering of Ant Group, which was widely expected to be the world’s biggest capital raising. China’s tech giants have become experts at using data and then parsing that information with algorithms to continue innovating and improving the customer experience. Whether it is determining which country you most like to visit and what kind of food you like... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3111505/how-ai-and-big-data-helped-chinas-tech-giants-dominate-consumer-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3111505/how-ai-and-big-data-helped-chinas-tech-giants-dominate-consumer-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2020 23:00:20 +0000 A Chinese city’s plan to score citizens by how “civil” they are has prompted comparisons to Black Mirror and China’s last imperial dynasty. Authorities in the eastern city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, introduced a new function designed to measure a person’s civic performance. The new “Sucheng Wenmingma”, which roughly translates as “Suzhou Civility Code”, aims to encourage people to follow traffic rules, take part in voluntary services, sort their trash and do other things that make them model... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100516/suzhou-city-takes-page-chinas-social-credit-system-civility-code-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3100516/suzhou-city-takes-page-chinas-social-credit-system-civility-code-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 01:20:07 +0000 China’s social credit system, by its wide definition, is a set of databases and initiatives that monitor and assess the trustworthiness of individuals, companies and government entities. Each entry is given a social credit score, with reward for those who have a high rating and punishments for those with low scores. The databases are managed by China’s economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the country’s court system. Most... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3096090/what-chinas-social-credit-system-and-why-it-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3096090/what-chinas-social-credit-system-and-why-it-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2020 04:00:11 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Whenever Li Xin wants to take a stroll through a local park in Shanghai, she needs to pull out her phone and show a QR code. If it’s not the right color, she won’t be allowed in. The same goes for entering her office. Her code was even checked when she was enrolling her child in kindergarten. Color-based health codes have become China’s most widely used method of trying to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control. With the danger having subsided in... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087437/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3087437/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:24:19 +0000 Whenever Li Xin wants to take a stroll through a local park in Shanghai, she needs to pull out her phone and show a QR code. If it’s not the right color, she won’t be allowed in. The same goes for entering her office. Her code was even checked when she was enrolling her child in kindergarten. Color-based health codes have become China’s most widely used method of trying to keep the spread of Covid-19 under control. With the danger having subsided in most of China, the QR codes have also started... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure/article/3087398?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-wants-keep-health-codes-after-pandemic-users-arent-so-sure/article/3087398?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:24:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Chinese citizens who lie about or hide medical history related to Covid-19 could see a negative impact on their social credit score. Beijing authorities announced on Monday that the new rule affects people entering the city from overseas, adding that they will be punished according to Chinese law. The new rule comes after a Chinese woman surnamed Li flew back from the US to Beijing last week and tested positive for the virus. Li lives in Massachusetts... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3075559/lying-about-coronavirus-beijing-now-affects-social-credit-scores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3075559/lying-about-coronavirus-beijing-now-affects-social-credit-scores?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2020 07:56:12 +0000 Chinese citizens who lie about or hide medical history related to Covid-19 could see a negative impact on their social credit score. Beijing authorities announced on Monday that the new rule affects people entering the city from overseas, adding that they will be punished according to Chinese law. The new rule comes after a Chinese woman surnamed Li flew back from the US to Beijing last week and tested positive for the virus. Li lives in Massachusetts in the US and had developed a fever and... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/lying-about-coronavirus-beijing-now-affects-social-credit-scores/article/3075487?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/lying-about-coronavirus-beijing-now-affects-social-credit-scores/article/3075487?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2020 07:56:11 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Shanghai city authorities have decided that hiding your history with the novel coronavirus is enough to land you on a social credit blacklist. The new rule covers people who have concealed travel history in areas affected by the virus, such as Wuhan, or contact with patients or suspected patients, according to a decision published Friday. The rule also affects those who evade isolation for medical observation. This is just one of many strategies... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3049568/hiding-your-coronavirus-history-can-give-you-bad-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3049568/hiding-your-coronavirus-history-can-give-you-bad-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:28:07 +0000 Shanghai city authorities have decided that hiding your history with the novel coronavirus is enough to land you on a social credit blacklist. The new rule covers people who have concealed travel history in areas affected by the virus, such as Wuhan, or contact with patients or suspected patients, according to a decision published Friday. The rule also affects those who evade isolation for medical observation. This is just one of many strategies employed to try to stop the spread of the virus... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/hiding-your-coronavirus-history-can-give-you-bad-social-credit/article/3049509?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/hiding-your-coronavirus-history-can-give-you-bad-social-credit/article/3049509?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 11:28:05 +0000 1. How could a sharp slowdown in China affect growth prospects for the rest of Asia? (Karen Yeung) This story from February looked at how the threat of a sharper than expected economic slowdown in China could damage Asia’s growth prospects. “We will have a slowdown in Asia-Pacific growth in the first quarter because of trade uncertainties between the US and China. Most companies do not invest when they worry about the future and they delay investment,” said Mahamoud Islam, Asia-Pacific senior... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3043367/huawei-trade-war-hong-kong-dollar-2019s-top-10-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3043367/huawei-trade-war-hong-kong-dollar-2019s-top-10-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 04:00:12 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS As the list of behaviors covered by China’s social credit systems continues to expand, more voices are sounding the alarm about the lack of laws governing these systems. State-run Legal Daily published a report saying some places are starting to show signs that punishments for “uncreditworthy” behaviour are being abused or applied too broadly. According to the report, titled “What kind of social credit law do we need”, a law professor at Sun Yat-sen... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3041520/chinas-social-credit-system-shows-first-signs-abuse-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3041520/chinas-social-credit-system-shows-first-signs-abuse-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:01:29 +0000 As the list of behaviors covered by China’s social credit systems continues to expand, more voices are sounding the alarm about the lack of laws governing these systems. State-run Legal Daily published a report saying some places are starting to show signs that punishments for “uncreditworthy” behavior are being abused or applied too broadly. According to the report, titled “What kind of social credit law do we need,” a law professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou said the social credit... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/chinas-social-credit-system-shows-first-signs-abuse-report-says/article/3041425?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/chinas-social-credit-system-shows-first-signs-abuse-report-says/article/3041425?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:01:28 +0000 China Railway Construction Corporation deployed thousands of workers over four years to build part of a coal-carrying line from Inner Mongolia to Jiangxi province. The project cost about 200 billion yuan (US$28.5 billion) and was heralded by state media last year as an exemplar of “safe production” with no injuries or deaths. Except there were, and China Railway’s project managers were covering them up. A tip-off exposed the conspiracy to local reporters, and a state-run China Railway unit... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3041131/chinese-blacklist-companies-pay-us2500-hour-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3041131/chinese-blacklist-companies-pay-us2500-hour-avoid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Dec 2019 05:12:04 +0000 China's social credit scheme is expanding to punish those involved in social security fraud and is also considering rewarding blood donors. Under the programme – which is designed to incentivise good behaviour and punish bad behaviour – individuals and companies caught breaking the law will now risk further penalties beyond any fines or prison terms that courts might impose. The measures announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security would target companies that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3039625/chinas-social-credit-system-expands-target-social-security-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3039625/chinas-social-credit-system-expands-target-social-security-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2019 15:45:15 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Depending on the city in China, behaviors like jaywalking and eating on the subway can already result in punishment using local social credit systems. And the list of behavior that impacts social credit continues to expand, with renting and blood donation recently being targeted. A new regulation on rental housing in Jiangsu province that takes effect next year will impact the social credit of landlords who fail to declare leasing information to... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3039578/chinas-social-credit-systems-cover-rental-housing-and-blood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3039578/chinas-social-credit-systems-cover-rental-housing-and-blood?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:04:45 +0000 Depending on the city in China, behaviors like jaywalking and eating on the subway can already result in punishment using local social credit systems. And the list of behavior that impacts social credit continues to expand, with renting and blood donation recently being targeted. A new regulation on rental housing in Jiangsu province that takes effect next year will impact the social credit of landlords who fail to declare leasing information to authorities within seven days of a rental contract... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/chinas-social-credit-systems-cover-rental-housing-and-blood-donation/article/3039541?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/chinas-social-credit-systems-cover-rental-housing-and-blood-donation/article/3039541?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:04:44 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS They were tech titans, the heads of three much-hyped companies. But now they can’t even book a flight or travel on a high-speed train. Luo Yonghao, the flamboyant founder of smartphone company Smartisan, joined the ranks of blacklisted tech leaders, barring him from certain things considered luxuries. He joins Dai Wei, founder of bike-sharing company Ofo, and Jia Yueting, founder of crumbling entertainment empire LeEco, along with China’s nearly 15... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3037288/they-founded-three-hot-tech-companies-now-theyre-country-wide-blacklist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3037288/they-founded-three-hot-tech-companies-now-theyre-country-wide-blacklist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:00:12 +0000 They were tech titans, the heads of three much-hyped companies. But now they can’t even book a flight or travel on a high-speed train. Luo Yonghao, the flamboyant founder of smartphone company Smartisan, joined the ranks of blacklisted tech leaders, barring him from certain things considered luxuries. He joins Dai Wei, founder of bike-sharing company Ofo, and Jia Yueting, founder of crumbling entertainment empire LeEco, along with China’s nearly 15 million other “discredited... https://www.scmp.com/tech/they-founded-three-hot-tech-companies-now-theyre-country-wide-blacklist/article/3036934?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/they-founded-three-hot-tech-companies-now-theyre-country-wide-blacklist/article/3036934?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:00:10 +0000 On his maiden trip to China as the incoming European Commission’s trade commissioner this week, Phil Hogan has prioritised advancing talks on a bilateral investment treaty that have dragged on for six years. However, those familiar with the negotiations say that a major sticking point has emerged that did not exist in 2013: China’s corporate social credit system. An offshoot of the much-discussed social credit system for individuals, the loosely defined and poorly understood scorecard for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3036445/chinas-social-credit-system-business-creates-new-and-complex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3036445/chinas-social-credit-system-business-creates-new-and-complex?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2019 14:00:08 +0000 Chinese authorities need to ramp up incentives in their social credit schemes if they are to really encourage “good behaviour”, according to a researcher who studied two cities piloting non-punitive systems. Dev Lewis, a fellow at the Hong Kong-based think tank Digital Asia Hub, said he studied test schemes in Xiamen, Fujian province, and Fuzhou, Fujian province, and found only a minority of residents opting in to the cities’ low-key programmes. “I think the key will be when you get good... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3034696/bigger-incentives-will-mean-bigger-public-buy-chinas-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3034696/bigger-incentives-will-mean-bigger-public-buy-chinas-social?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2019 22:00:06 +0000 Reports last week that hundreds of surveillance cameras have been installed in Serbia sparked discussions and debates globally. Mass surveillance is becoming increasingly controversial, especially with reference to China’s social credit system. I believe mass surveillance contradicts personal freedoms. According to your report, 1,000 Huawei-made cameras will eventually be installed in hundreds of locations around Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. These cameras will be assisted by artificial... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3034087/huawei-cameras-serbia-only-add-fears-about-chinese-mass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3034087/huawei-cameras-serbia-only-add-fears-about-chinese-mass?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 05:00:11 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Imagine you're boarding an airplane only to find an incredibly rude person sitting in your seat, refusing to move. Not even pleas from a flight attendant can get the person to budge. In a perfect world, you might think, this person would be banned from ever flying again. Well, that might actually be possible… in China. Chengxin Chunyun, an app made by local government agencies, allows users to take photos of unruly train and plane passengers and upload... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3033807/china-using-social-credit-apps-gamify-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3033807/china-using-social-credit-apps-gamify-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 02:00:08 +0000 Imagine you're boarding an airplane only to find an incredibly rude person sitting in your seat, refusing to move. Not even pleas from a flight attendant can get the person to budge. In a perfect world, you might think, this person would be banned from ever flying again. Well, that might actually be possible… in China. Chengxin Chunyun, an app made by local government agencies, allows users to take photos of unruly train and plane passengers and upload them to the platform along with a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-using-social-credit-apps-gamify-government/article/3033202?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/china-using-social-credit-apps-gamify-government/article/3033202?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 02:00:06 +0000 Foreign companies that already encounter difficulties in doing business in China are about to face an even starker reality as Beijing steps up plans for a corporate rating system. In an ambitious undertaking, the Chinese government is building a so-called social credit system that aims to collect and analyse information on its 1.4 billion citizens and rate millions of corporations both domestic and foreign. Its goal is to keep local governments, businesses and people in compliance with national... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3032720/why-us-businesses-should-be-worried-about-chinas-corporate-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3032720/why-us-businesses-should-be-worried-about-chinas-corporate-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Oct 2019 22:00:15 +0000 A court in eastern China has found a new way to target local debtors: sending advertisements to their friends and family on WeChat, offering them money for telling the court about new debts and for pressuring the person to pay up. The move by Jianggan district court in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is the latest tactic aimed at laolai – a derogatory term for people who fail to repay debts – as China develops its social credit scheme. The adverts are generated through a WeChat... https://www.scmp.com/culture/court-offers-money-wechat-users-snitch-debtors/article/3029975?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/court-offers-money-wechat-users-snitch-debtors/article/3029975?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:25:42 +0000 To get deadbeats to pay up, a court in eastern China has turned to one of the oldest forms of incentives: bounties. The Jianggan district court in the city of Hangzhou said it would send targeted social media ads to people close to debtors, including family, friends and colleagues, offering money for those who manage to make the indebted pay up. This is another step in China’s national program to crack down on deadbeats, which includes putting them on a blacklist to prevent them from booking... https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-court-offers-bounties-catch-deadbeats/article/3030009?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-court-offers-bounties-catch-deadbeats/article/3030009?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:13:54 +0000 A court in eastern China has found a new way to target local debtors: sending advertisements to their friends and family on WeChat, offering them money to tell the court about new debts and to pressure the person to pay up. The move by Jianggan district court in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is the latest tactic aimed at laolai – a derogatory term for people who fail to repay debts – as China develops its social credit scheme. The adverts are generated through a WeChat mini-program –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3029962/chinese-courts-wechat-adverts-offer-cash-snitch-your-indebted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3029962/chinese-courts-wechat-adverts-offer-cash-snitch-your-indebted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2019 08:18:59 +0000 China is moving forward rapidly its plans for a controversial social credit rating system that will include 33 million companies, raising fears of reprisals among foreign firms as Beijing seeks to extend its control over the business environment in the country. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is pushing ahead with social credit-based supervision of all commercial entities from large firms to small, independently owned and operated business, prompting complaints over... https://www.scmp.com/tech/even-companies-are-now-concerned-about-chinas-social-credit-system/article/3027910?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/even-companies-are-now-concerned-about-chinas-social-credit-system/article/3027910?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 14:38:54 +0000 China is moving forward rapidly its plans for a controversial social credit rating system that will include 33 million companies, raising fears of reprisals among foreign firms as Beijing seeks to extend its control over the business environment in the country. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is pushing ahead with social credit-based supervision of all commercial entities from large firms to small, independently owned and operated business, prompting complaints over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3027674/china-pushing-ahead-controversial-corporate-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3027674/china-pushing-ahead-controversial-corporate-social-credit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Sep 2019 10:00:11 +0000 European companies operating in China have been urged to step up their preparations for the introduction of the country’s social credit system after a report warned that it may cause “substantial and wide-ranging” disruption to their operations. The report by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said the system would have an impact beyond the Chinese market and could affect countries involved in Beijing’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative. Chamber president Joerg Wuttke said the report was an... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/european-companies-warned-chinas-social-credit-system-could-mean-life-or-death/article/3024716?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/european-companies-warned-chinas-social-credit-system-could-mean-life-or-death/article/3024716?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:51:07 +0000 Foreign companies have been warned that China’s social credit system could become a weapon to be used against them in international trade disputes. A report from the EU Chamber of Commerce in China published on Wednesday warned that data collected under the system could be used to compile a blacklist of companies, with one contributor to the research adding that companies should not “be naive” about its possible uses. The system, which is due to be fully implemented by the end of next year, will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3024636/european-firms-warned-chinas-social-credit-system-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3024636/european-firms-warned-chinas-social-credit-system-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2019 01:55:34 +0000 As various places across China have erected their own so-called social credit schemes, some people have already faced some harsh consequences for having low scores. A new draft regulation could now expand scored behavior to include content shared online. If the new regulation is put into effect, internet users who fabricate, publish and spread information online that goes against public morals or business ethics could be deemed “seriously untrustworthy.” Users aren’t the only ones being... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3020992/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3020992/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2019 09:12:48 +0000 As various places across China have erected their own so-called social credit schemes, some people have already faced some harsh consequences for having low scores. A new draft regulation could now expand scored behavior to include content shared online. If the new regulation is put into effect, internet users who fabricate, publish and spread information online that goes against public morals or business ethics could be deemed “seriously untrustworthy.” Users aren’t the only ones being... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech/article/3020009?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/chinas-social-credit-system-may-soon-target-online-speech/article/3020009?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:39:22 +0000 Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have been removed from a Chinese government “social credit system” website to avoid any misunderstanding that the controversial scheme, which some observers believe will increase the collection and sharing of data about citizens, will be implemented locally. In a message posted on his Facebook page late on Saturday night, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said the items on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan had been deleted from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018507/hong-kong-macau-and-taiwan-deleted-website-mainland-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018507/hong-kong-macau-and-taiwan-deleted-website-mainland-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2019 23:00:11 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS China’s social credit concept has garnered a lot of negative attention based on how it seems to want to engineer what the government considers good behavior. Today, social credit really only exists as part of various disparate systems set up by local governments across the country. No matter who sets them up, though, social credit schemes are all designed to work roughly the same way: They reward those behaving in ways considered beneficial to society... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029474/five-things-could-land-you-social-credit-blacklist-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029474/five-things-could-land-you-social-credit-blacklist-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 13:53:24 +0000