Chinese movie star Liu Xiaoqing has listed her Sydney luxury penthouse for a guide price of $18 million (US$11.6 million). Ms. Liu, a household name in China since the 1980s, is known for the over 60 films and television shows in which she starred, as well as for her business success, which prompted her to be ranked by Forbes as China’s richest woman in 1999. However, the superstar was thrown into China’s notorious Qincheng Prison in 2002 after a conviction for tax evasion with a 7.1 million yuan (about A$1.52 million) fine, which almost wiped out her fortune. Ms. Liu later disclosed in her autobiography that she was arrested due to offending former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin. At the end of 2002, before Ms. Liu’s case was concluded, the former leader ordered people to sell all of Ms. Liu’s real estate, including her company’s real estate, leaving her without a place to live....Read more https://www.theepochtimes.com/real-estate/chinese-billionaire-movie-star-sells-multi-million-dollar-luxury-penthouse-5507054
Debt-ridden Chinese property developer Country Garden Holdings said Tuesday that it had failed to make a principal payment of HK$470 million ($60 million) by the deadline. The company did not elaborate on details about the payment but admitted that a future default is likely as it may “not be able to meet all of its offshore payment obligations when due or within the relevant grace periods, including but not limited to those under the U.S. dollar notes.” “Such non-payment may lead to relevant creditors of the Group demanding acceleration of payment of the relevant indebtedness owed to them or pursuing enforcement action,” the company said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing (pdf).... 
Travel into Australia has nearly reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to Tourism Minister Don Farrell. International interest for a holiday Down Under has grown over the past year with the number of people searching for flights to Australia increasing 10 percent, compared to 2019. This comes after the one-year anniversary of the “Come and Say G’Day” tourism campaign was launched by the government. “At the time of the Come and Say G’day campaign launch, international visitation to Australia was at 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, compared to October 2019,” according to a statement by the minister. “Overall, we have reached 79 percent of pre-pandemic arrivals, with some individual markets back at 2019 levels,” Mr. Farrell said....
Israel declaring war on terrorist group Hamas after an unprecedented attack. How are the world’s strongest powers responding to the move, made by a staunch American ally? Fentanyl, the Ukraine war, and fair trade. U.S. senators raising all three issues during a rare meeting with the Chinese Communist Party leader in Beijing. What’s next for U.S.-China relations? A new report exposing decades of Chinese funding in New York politics. An investigation reveals China’s state propaganda department has been funneling hundreds of thousands, or more, into Empire State candidates for office. Once a global growth engine, now a no-go zone. What’s scaring Wall Street sharks away from China?...