China's economic growth dropped to 6.5% in Q3 — the weakest it's been since the financial crisis, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The big picture: The economy overall is on track to still meet its growth target of 6.5%, WSJ reports, though the drop in numbers could hurt China's ability to negotiate with the U.S. amid the brewing trade war.
The details, per WSJ: The drop was due to growth "in industrial output and consumption."
What's next: If growth continues to slow, China is "ready to roll out more pro-growth measures," WSJ reports, doing things like giving banks more money to provide loans and increasing government spending.
Meanwhile, Caixin reports that the combination of slowing GDP growth and the fact the stock markets are deep in bear market territory is making regulators very concerned:
"President Xi’s top economic adviser and the heads of the securities regulator, the combined insurance and banking watchdog and the central bank all released statements urging investors to stay calm as the country’s main stock market neared a four-year low."
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China's #MeToo movement may be fledgling, but it's starting to rise, according to American author Leta Hong Fincher, who recently authored "Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China."
Why it matters: The U.S. recently had its 1-year-anniversary of the start of #MeToo, but the global momentum of the movement has had mixed results. China — considered one of the most authoritarian regimes resistant to feminist ideologies — is facing a growing number of women coming forward with stories of abuse or injustice, Hong Fincher tells me.
Read my interview with her...
What is the feminist awakening in China?
Why does the Communist Party see activists for women's rights as threats?
The #Metoo movement has come to China, but so far no one too powerful seems to have been affected. Why is that, and do you think that might change?
What do you see as the prospects for advancing women's rights and equality on China?
Do you think China’s women’s rights movement will have any effect on the rest of the world?
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Various reports of around one million Uyghur Muslims being detained in mass detention camps in Xinjiang are rapidly increasing.
What's happening: "Transformation" is the goal of China detaining vast numbers of Muslims, per Sunday's New York Times, in the center of the print front page. Anwar Ibrahim, likely the next premier of Malaysia, criticized the crackdown in Xinjiang, per Bloomberg.
The trend: Human Rights Watch issued a long report Monday on China's campaign of "eradicating ideological viruses."
What's next: The U.S. is considering sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against senior Chinese officials involved in the crackdown, NYT reports.
The PRC government, on the other hand, has taken a new tack in its defense, as Reuters reports...
“It is not mistreatment,” said Li Xiaojun, director for publicity at the Bureau of Human Rights Affairs of the State Council Information Office. “What China is doing is to establish professional training centers, educational centers.”“If you do not say it’s the best way, maybe it’s the necessary way to deal with Islamic or religious extremism, because the West has failed in doing so, in dealing with religious Islamic extremism,” Li told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva.“Look at Belgium, look at Paris, look at some other European countries. You have failed.”"As to surveillance, China is learning from the UK,” Li said. “Your per capita CCTV is much higher than that for China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region.”
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For D.C. readers, the large Uyghur community here means there are at least three very good Uyghur restaurants in the area — Dolan in Cleveland Park, Eerkin’s in Glover Park and Queen Amannisa in Arlington.
