Welcome to the 98th installment of the Caixin-Sinica Business Brief, a weekly podcast that brings you the most important business stories of the week from China’s top source for business and financial news. Produced by Kaiser Kuo of our Sinica Podcast, it features a business news roundup, plus conversations with Caixin reporters and editors.

This week: 

• We report that stock markets reacted positively after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he’d consider an interim trade deal with China despite preferring a permanent one.
• We note that Chinese auto sales fell for the 14th time in 15 months, extending what’s already been a historically prolonged slump in the world’s largest car market.
• We chat about European brewer AB InBev, which said it had resuscitated its application to list its Asia unit in Hong Kong, two months after pulling out of its previous plan.
• We hear that the London Stock Exchange Group has rejected a takeover proposal from Asian rival Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, saying the bid has fundamental flaws.
• We find out that China’s central bank has appointed Mu Changchun 穆长春, a deputy director of its payment and settlement department, as the new head of its digital currency research institute.
• We analyze premium liquor brand Kweichow Moutai’s pivot to gene-sequenced microbes in its pursuit of the next lip-smacking tipple.
• We discuss how the weakening yuan has put a boom in Chinese outbound travel in recent years in reverse gear.
• We dive into Shanghai Disney Resort’s new policy of letting visitors bring their own food into the park.

In addition, we talk with partner producer Tanner Brown, head of the breaking news team at Caixin Global, about a mosquito factory in Guangzhou, where scientists are trying to control mosquito populations and combat the diseases they carry, such as dengue fever and Zika.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.