8:01 AM, 36Kr | Economists suggest subsidizing first marriage and first childbirth; The daily salary of top short drama actors has soared to 30,000 yuan; The number of newborns in South Korea has increased positively for the first time in 9 years.
TOP3 Big News
Economists Suggest Subsidizing First Marriage and First Birth: Without Romance and Marriage, How Can There Be Consumption Demands for Properties, Automobiles, and Others?
From January 4 to 5, the "2025 China Chief Economist Forum Annual Conference" was held in Shanghai. Li Zhan, the Chief Economist of the Research Department of China Merchants Fund, mentioned the childbirth allowance in his speech. He suggested providing subsidies to young people who are getting married and having their first child. "Without the first marriage and the first birth, how can there be the second and the third? Now, the consumption during Christmas, New Year's Eve, and other such occasions has significantly decreased. That is the result of the reduced demands for romance and marriage among young people. Without romance and marriage, how can there be demands for properties, automobiles, and large household appliances?" (Sina Finance)
The short drama industry is expanding rapidly, with top actors' daily salary soaring to 30,000 yuan
In the just-passed 2024, the short drama industry has been expanding rapidly, with intense internal competition and continuous iteration. This year, the tycoon theme has entered the middle-aged and elderly market, free short dramas have occupied half of the market, and the overseas market has grown by more than ten times crazily. At the same time, the internal competition and rivalry in the industry are also intensifying, and the production cost of short dramas is rising.
Li Tao, the CEO of Fengxing Culture, said that taking actors' salaries as an example, the salary of the same actor might be around 1,000 yuan per day in the same period of the previous year, and it would be about 2,000 - 3,000 yuan per day last year. After shooting a hit drama, the leading actors and actresses' worth has doubled. Currently, the highest salary of the "top short drama actors" has reached 30,000 - 50,000 yuan per day, while in 2023, almost no one in the entire industry had a daily salary of over 10,000 yuan. (Blue Whale News)
For the first time in 9 years, the number of newborns in South Korea shows a positive growth
Data released by the South Korean government department on January 3 shows that the number of newborns in South Korea in 2024 exceeds 240,000, showing a positive growth for the first time in 9 years. According to Yonhap News Agency, for South Korea, which has entered a "population emergency state", this rebound in the number of newborns is truly rare. Data released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of South Korea shows that the number of newborns in 2024 is 242,000, an increase of 3.1% compared to the previous year. South Korea's total population last year was 51,217,000, showing a decreasing trend for 5 consecutive years. (CCTV News)
Big Companies/Big Events
Lei Jun: Xiaomi Automobile Factory Has Opened for External Visit Reservations
36Kr learned that Lei Jun posted on Weibo saying that the Xiaomi Automobile Factory has opened for external visit reservations. "We will gradually open for visits in 2025. Click on the Xiaomi Automobile App Community - Official - Top Banner, fill in the registration information and select the visit time. We will announce the selected list on the Xiaomi Automobile App and notify by phone."
A 1993-born Girl Becomes the Head of a Photovoltaic Giant with a Total Market Value of 40.7 Billion Yuan
On the evening of January 3, Trina Solar issued an announcement stating that all directors unanimously agreed to elect Gao Haichun as the co-chairperson of the company's third board of directors. According to her resume, Gao Haichun was born in 1993, graduated from Brown University in the United States with a bachelor's degree. Since June 2017, she has successively served as the deputy general manager of the Strategic Investment Department of Trina Solar Co., Ltd. and the chairman of Trina Home Energy Co., Ltd. It is worth noting that Gao Haichun is the daughter of Gao Jifan, the founder, controlling shareholder, and actual controller of Trina Solar. "The first-generation entrepreneur" Gao Jifan is a leading figure in the photovoltaic industry. As of the close of trading on January 3, the share price of Trina Solar was 18.66 yuan per share, with a total market value of 40.7 billion yuan. (Red Star News)
95 cases of tax evasion at gas stations exposed by CCTV, involving 790 million yuan, and 298 suspects arrested
In a gas station in Guigang, Guangxi, 1.5 liters of fuel are stolen from consumers for each tank filled. Law enforcement officers found a computer in a utility room, which contained a hidden "Remote Control Program for Gas Stations". After setting parameters through this program, for 13 normal refuellings, the system only showed 3 records. Calculated, the tax evasion rate is as high as about 75%; the parameters for the "fuel theft" function can also be set arbitrarily. To avoid inspections, the gas station immediately deletes the background data after each internal settlement.
Currently, the national public security organs have solved 95 cases of fuel dispenser cheating, arrested 298 suspects, investigated and dealt with more than 9,000 various types of cheating devices, and identified more than 790 million yuan in tax evasion. (CCTV News)
Experts say: Conservatively estimated, the conversion value of homesteads entering the market can reach 1.3 trillion yuan.
At the 2025 China Chief Economist Forum Annual Conference held on January 4, Lian Ping, the chairman of the China Chief Economist Forum and the dean of the Guangkai Chief Industry Research Institute, said that currently, the abandoned and vacant area of rural homesteads is 7.6 million hectares, and the area of idle homesteads flowing into the mobile market every year is about 1.5 billion square meters. In the past 12 months, the proportion of land supply in first-tier cities to the supply area of all 100 large and medium-sized cities is 2.5%, the proportion of second-tier cities is about 29.8%, and that of other cities is 67.7%. Referring to the current national land market supply structure, and comprehensively considering the land auction price and the discount between urban and rural land, it is conservatively estimated that the value of homesteads entering the market for conversion can reach about 1.3 trillion yuan. (Yicai)
The positive rate of influenza virus in the country is rising rapidly, with more than 99% being Influenza A.
The monitoring results of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that the overall trend of acute respiratory infectious diseases is continuously rising. The positive rate of influenza virus in the country is increasing rapidly. Currently, in the south and north of the country, more than 99% of the positive rates of the influenza virus are the Influenza A (H1N1) subtype. (CCTV News)
Urumqi Ice and Snow Grand Temple Fair Issues Apology and Announces Rectification: Hastily Opened, Deeply Apologetic
At around 11:00 on January 4, the Urumqi Ice and Snow Grand Temple Fair's video account released an apology letter, stating that the Urumqi Ice and Snow Grand Temple Fair is deeply sorry for the various problems that have occurred since the opening on New Year's Eve, as well as the hasty opening of the park with the ice and snow sculptures and recreational facilities not fully completed, which has affected the citizens' recreational experience. Previously, some tourists reported that the Urumqi Ice and Snow Grand Temple Fair charged 58 yuan for a single ticket and 208 yuan for a double ticket, but some projects were not open, resulting in a poor experience. (The Paper, China Newsweek)
The Direct High-Speed Railway Train from Xi'an to Hong Kong Officially Starts Operating
At 11:04 on January 5th, as the G828 train slowly departed from Xi'an North Railway Station, it marked the official launch of the direct high-speed railway train from Xi'an to Hong Kong. This is the first time that a direct high-speed railway train to Hong Kong has been operated from Xi'an, Shaanxi, and it is also the first train to enter Hong Kong in the northwest region. (China News Network)
The transaction volume of the property market in first-tier cities has reached a new high simultaneously. The agent: We are ready to welcome the "Golden March and Silver April".
With the continuous heating up of the transaction volume in the property market, in December 2024, the transaction volumes of the property markets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, the four first-tier cities, have reached new highs simultaneously. This is regarded as a clear signal of the recovery of the real estate market in first-tier cities within the industry. Looking forward to 2025, many real estate agents said that they have made full preparations to welcome the "Golden March and Silver April", the peak sales season. (The Paper)
The National Radio and Television Administration: Improve the management of audio-visual content of program categories and formulate the "Micro-Short Drama Management Measures"
36Kr has learned that according to the National Radio and Television Administration, from January 3 to 4, the 2025 National Radio and Television Work Conference was held in Beijing. The conference deployed the key tasks of radio, television, and online audio-visual in 2025. It was mentioned that the governance capacity in the field of online audio-visual should be comprehensively enhanced, the management of audio-visual content of program categories should be improved, and the "Micro-Short Drama Management Measures" should be formulated, making efforts to achieve both prosperous development and standardized management.
Nippon Steel Corporation Plans to Sue the US Government for Blocking Its Acquisition of US Steel Corporation
On January 5 local time, according to the website of Fuji Television in Japan, sources disclosed that Nippon Steel Corporation plans to sue the US government for blocking its acquisition of US Steel Corporation. The lawsuit will involve the rationality of the procedures of the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States in the review of the acquisition process. The report said that if the acquisition fails, Nippon Steel may need to pay a penalty of $565 million to US Steel. (CCTV News)
Puli Pharmaceuticals: The company's stock will be subject to delisting risk warning, and the stock will be suspended for one day starting from January 6.
36Kr learned that Puli Pharmaceuticals issued an announcement that the stocks of Hainan Puli Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and its convertible corporate bonds will be suspended from trading for one day starting from the opening of the market on January 6, 2025 (Monday), and will resume trading on January 7, 2025 (Tuesday); The company's stock will be subject to "delisting risk warning" from the opening of the market on January 7, 2025. The abbreviation of the company's stock will be changed from "Puli Pharmaceuticals" to "*ST Puli". After the implementation of the delisting risk warning, the daily price limit for the company's stock trading remains 20%.
Buffett Once Again Increases His Stake in VeriSign
The latest documents submitted to the US SEC show that Berkshire Hathaway, owned by Buffett, purchased approximately 20,044 common shares of VeriSign at a price of approximately $4.1 million from December 31, 2024, to January 3, 2025. The price ranged from $204.61 to $204.94 per share. This is the third time Berkshire has disclosed adding to its position in this internet company since mid-December. (Sina Finance)
FAA Administrator: Boeing Still Needs to Change Its Culture, Safety First and Profit Second
On the first anniversary of the emergency hatch falling off a Boeing 737 Max aircraft of Alaska Airlines during a flight in January 2024, the top US aviation regulator said that the company needs a "fundamental cultural shift" to prioritize safety and quality over profits. (Sina Finance)
Nippon Steel: Biden's Blockade of Acquisition Is Politically Motivated, and Legal Actions Are Not Ruled Out
It was learned on January 4 local time that in response to US President Biden's issuance of a ban on Nippon Steel Corporation's acquisition of the US Steel Corporation, Nippon Steel Corporation issued a statement saying that it is studying all measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests, and indicated that legal actions are not ruled out. The statement said that Nippon Steel Corporation is disappointed with Biden's decision to block the acquisition, and said that this decision is politically motivated by Biden, which clearly violates the due process stipulated in the US Constitution and the relevant laws of the US Committee on Foreign Investment. In this regard, Nippon Steel and the US Steel Corporation will take all measures to protect their legitimate rights and interests, and legal actions are not ruled out. (CCTV News)
JetBlue Airways Fined $2 Million by US Department of Transportation for Long-Term Flight Delays
On January 3 local time, the US Department of Transportation fined JetBlue Airways $2 million for long-term delays of four flights on domestic routes in the United States. This is the first time the US Department of Transportation has fined an airline for this prohibited flight scheduling behavior. The US Department of Transportation said that as part of the agreement reached with JetBlue Airways, JetBlue Airways will pay a $1 million fine to the US Department of Transportation, and the remaining fine will be used to compensate customers affected by its long-term delayed flights or future flights. (CCTV News)
After the termination of the gas transmission agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Italy raises the restricted electricity price in the first quarter.
Recently, the Italian Energy Network and Environmental Management Agency issued a statement saying that due to the continued geopolitical tensions and the current low winter temperatures, from the 3rd, the restricted electricity price for the first quarter of 2025 in Italy has increased by 18.2% month-on-month. Italian media reports said that this decision is related to the termination of the gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine. (CCTV News)
The Forefront of AI
Bank of America Analyst: NVIDIA May Announce Its Entry into the AI PC Market at CES 2025
The 2025 International Consumer Electronics Show (hereinafter referred to as CES 2025) will kick off in Las Vegas, USA from January 7 to 10 local time. At 6:30 PM local time on January 6, Jensen Huang will give a keynote speech on the spot. Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya predicts that NVIDIA will officially announce its entry into the AI PC market at the show. On the same morning, Intel and AMD will also hold new product launches one after another. In terms of time, Intel is earlier than AMD and NVIDIA. Foreign media believe that Intel intends to seize the opportunity and reserve sufficient time for partners to showcase new products. (Cailian Press)
Elon Musk: Grok 3 has completed pre-training, and its computational power is ten times higher than that of Grok 2
Elon Musk announced on the social platform: Grok 3 is about to be launched, and its pre-training has now been completed, with its computational power being 10 times higher than that of Grok 2. (Yicai Global)
Cool Products
SpaceX's "Starship" will deploy simulated satellites in the next test
The SpaceX company under Musk said on Friday that the upcoming Starship test flight will include the rocket's first attempt to deploy a payload in space, releasing 10 Starlink satellite models. This is an important demonstration of the "Starship" potential in the satellite launch market. "In space, the Starship will deploy 10 Starlink simulators, which are similar in size and weight to the next-generation Starlink satellites. This is the first rehearsal of the satellite deployment mission," SpaceX said in a blog post on its website. (Sina Finance)
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