Mastercard license

U.S. payments card company Mastercard Inc. said Friday it still plans to apply for a bankcard clearing license in China and was in “active discussions” to explore solutions.

Mastercard “continues to make every effort to secure the requisite license to be able to access China’s domestic market,” it said.

Alibaba investment

ALIBABA Group will continue to invest aggressively despite an uncertain business environment, a senior company executive said Friday.

Alibaba’s executive vice chairman Joe Tsai struck an optimistic note about China and said people were over worried about the country’s economy, adding that Chinese consumers were still fundamentally very strong.

Scrap copper imports

CHINA’S imports of scrap copper from the United States rose in December from the previous month, customs data showed, snapping six straight months of decline.

Arrivals of U.S. scrap copper into China last month stood at 5,236 tons, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Friday. That was up 14.3 percent from 4,580 tons in November.