-
Economy /

China Economy

Related Topics:
Belt and Road Initiative
Asia housing and property
US-China trade war
Ties between China and Japan have deteriorated since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made contentious remarks about Taiwan that drew a sharp response from Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China trade

China has tools to step up trade curbs on Japan amid tensions: Morgan Stanley

But Beijing is likely to conclude that further action would be counterproductive, according to the investment bank.

videocam
China trade

China’s zero-tariff gambit: why Beijing is slashing duties as Trump raises them

videocam
5
China's economic recovery

China’s Xi pushes ‘holistic’ execution by local cadres for 5-year plan

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV makers’ outlook overseas improves as Europe levels the playing field

Europe’s 33 per cent EV sales growth outpaces the mainland in 2025, while Germany launches a US$3.5 billion subsidy programme.

A BYD Seal is displayed at the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2026. Photo: EPA
A BYD Seal is displayed at the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2026. Photo: EPA
World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos

China’s He Lifeng warns of ‘law of the jungle’, blasts protectionism, at Davos

Amid escalating transatlantic rifts fuelled by Donald Trump, vice-premier urges global cooperation, free trade and dialogue, pledging to boost imports and open China’s market.

videocam
64
China consumption

China targets hi-tech industries, household spending in 2026 with policy package

Beijing announces support for small businesses and the tech sector, after 2025 economic data shows heavy reliance on exports.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China consumption

China’s consumers refuse to open their wallets. Is ‘luxury-phobia’ the problem?

Chinese households are not splashing out on luxury goods partly because they feel ‘stigmatised’ for doing so, scholar argues.

videocam
18
A Labubu toy hangs from a consumer’s Hermes bag in Beijing. To get consumers spending, China should not stigmatise the pursuit of luxury goods, a professor at Peking University has argued. Photo: Beijing
A Labubu toy hangs from a consumer’s Hermes bag in Beijing. To get consumers spending, China should not stigmatise the pursuit of luxury goods, a professor at Peking University has argued. Photo: Beijing
China's economic recovery

Shanghai unveils road map to rival world cities in finance, tech and innovation

Economic powerhouse has sights set on AI, advanced manufacturing and global financial services, reflecting a national 5-year plan’s first explicit financial-centre directive.

China jobs

Hong Kong degree is ‘passport’ to jobs in the world’s third-largest art market

Art graduates from the mainland, looking to expand their horizons and gain an edge in the job market, are flocking to Hong Kong for further study.

videocam
Belt and Road Initiative

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

China’s global infrastructure strategy logged a record US$213 billion of new deals in 2025, as metals projects in Central Asia soared, report finds.

videocam
27
Security guards patrol a lithium project in Zimbabwe. China’s engagement in metals and mining projects surged last year, according to a report by the Griffith Asia Institute. Photo: EPA-EFE
China GDP

IMF raises China’s 2026 growth forecast to 4.5%, citing US ‘truce’ and stimulus

The fund predicts lower US tariffs and efforts to raise consumer spending may boost economy, though forecast short of last year’s growth.

5
Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, delivers remarks at the IMF headquarters in Washington on April 17, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, delivers remarks at the IMF headquarters in Washington on April 17, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
China's population

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

videocam
23
China stock market

China’s securities regulator clamps down on speculation to prevent sharp swings

CSRC signals it wants a slower but longer stock market rally after trading volumes and margin financing hit record highs.

China trade

Harbouring ambitions: China’s port giants make waves with record growth

Record container volumes drive ambitious expansions at Shanghai and Ningbo ports as Beijing bets on smart hubs and regional integration to weather global volatility.

videocam
The Chuanshan area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is seen in China’s Zhejiang province. Port authorities said it had surpassed 40 million TEU in container throughput by early December. Photo: Xinhua
China property

Mainland China’s home prices extend slide, deepening property downturn

New home prices fall again in December, with declines across most cities, as second-hand values plunge year on year.

4
People skate on a frozen lake at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, with residential buildings in the background. Photo: AP
People skate on a frozen lake at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, with residential buildings in the background. Photo: AP
World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos

China’s Davos sales pitch: stability, reliability and not being Trump

Vice-Premier He Lifeng is expected to pitch China as a reliable partner on Tuesday, contrasting Beijing’s stability with Trump’s unilateralism before US president’s address.

videocam
12
China GDP

China hits 2025 GDP target – but quarterly growth drops to 3-year low

China logs 5 per cent GDP growth in 2025, 4.5 per cent in fourth quarter as Beijing acknowledges ‘long-standing issues and new challenges’.

28
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese electric vehicle makers eye Western markets as trade barriers fall

Canada will drop the 100 per cent punitive tariffs on Chinese-made pure electric cars while setting an annual import quota of 49,000 units.

4
China exports

Can China’s cosmetics brands rival K-beauty and refashion global markets?

Once the top export market for South Korean cosmetics, Chinese firms lead at home and have made headway overseas – but gaps remain.

videocam
7
Banking & finance

In wake of Trump post, calls mount for China to impose rate cap on online loans

Beijing tightened oversight of China’s online lending market last year, but many are still borrowing, especially those of younger generations.

The number of credit cards in China has dropped by about 100 million since September 2022. Photo: SCMP
Banking & finance

Scam, corruption cases spark Chinese debate about future of virtual money

The Chen Zhi arrest might push bitcoin prices down temporarily, but analysts said other factors will have greater sway in the long term.

4
Representations of the bitcoin cryptocurrency. Illustration: Reuters
Representations of the bitcoin cryptocurrency. Illustration: Reuters
Banking & finance

Chinese banks lure investors with gold-linked deposits amid soaring prices

Such products may offer better returns than fixed deposits, but these investments are not without risks, analyst says.

US-China relations

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

videocam
49
China trade

Canada, China hit reset button on relations with tariff agreement

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the deal, which features a mutual reduction in tariffs on goods, including Chinese EVs.

videocam
63
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to the media at Ritan Park in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW