- Tech giants aim to curb working hours
- Faster than sound to the other side of the world
- Millions of Chinese back in lockdown
- Mood among China’s economy deteriorates
- Massive investment package for Beijing’s south
- German warship on its way to Indo-Pacific
- Hong Kong singer and activist arrested
- More than 300 casualties after floods
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Dear reader,
Working from 9 in the morning until 9 in the evening, six days a week. What may seem like a true white-collar horror to many is the daily routine of China’s tech workers. But the work culture also known as “996” has come under heavy criticism. Our team of writers in Beijing shows how the pressure on tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent continues to mount – and how corporate executives are now responding.
Fast, faster, hyper-fast – this is the development goal of Chinese scientists. As early as 2030, hypersonic aircraft with a speed of more than 7,000 kilometers per hour are to transport passengers to any place in the world – in less than two hours. But hypersonic technology is also of military significance: It could shift the balance of power to the disadvantage of the US, since Washington seems to be lagging behind the People’s Republic in this field.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere among China’s economic leaders has turned sour. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies as well as for large and state-dominated industrial corporations has dropped to its lowest level since May 2020, citing increased raw material and logistics costs as well as supply shortages in global trade as reasons. But the impact of extreme weather is also preventing economic recovery. Meanwhile, according to official figures, the number of flood victims in the central Chinese province of Henan has risen from 99 to more than 300.
I hope you enjoy our latest briefing!
Feature
An end to the “996” work culture?
Chinese Internet companies are known for their exceptionally long working hours. At the heart of the years-long debate about the high workload of employees, lies the working time culture, known as “996”: from nine in the morning to nine in the evening – six days a week.
Two years ago, Alibaba founder Jack Ma poured more fuel into the fire by calling “996” a “huge blessing”. “Anyone who starts at Alibaba should be willing to work 12-hour days,” the billionaire demanded with full commitment. “We don’t need those who comfortably work eight hours”. His colleague Richard Liu, founder and CEO of JD.com saw eye to eye with him and criticized “lazy people”.
Such tones are no longer heard from China’s tech founders. On the contrary, several dozen companies in the sector have announced plans to revise their working time models. The streaming app Kuaishou announced that employees would no longer have to come into the office every other weekend, as has been the case until now. Competitor TikTok followed suit with a similar announcement.
- 996
- 996
- Alibaba
- Alibaba
- JD.com
- JD.com
- Kuaishou
- Kuaishou
- Meituan
- Meituan
- Technology
- Technology
- Tencent
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