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China’s plummeting birth rates present a daunting challenge, as the nation’s newborn population fell below 8 million in 2025 for the first time since 1949. Photo: AFP
China trade

What haunts China’s investors? Geopolitics and a demographic abyss, survey finds

Weak domestic demand, shrinking confidence in the property market and a declining fertility rate fuel caution among investors in China’s major hubs.

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China manufacturing

As World Cup boosts merch demand, China’s small-goods capital Yiwu stays wary

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China-EU relations

‘Mother of all trade deals’: EU pivots to India in historic trade shake-up

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Banking & finance

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China manufacturing

Over 70% of European firms in China review supply chain strategies: survey

The findings show how European firms must maintain a delicate balancing act between China’s tight security and focus on self-reliance.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng targets overseas sales surge in 2026 as China EV battle goes global

Guangzhou-based EV maker targets more than 90,000 overseas deliveries this year amid fierce competition at home.

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Belt and Road Initiative

China close to opening US$10 billion canal linking heartlands to Southeast Asia

The vast waterway in China’s southern Guangxi region is set to open before the end of 2026, according to state media reports.

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The Pinglu Canal, which stretches 134km (83 miles) across China’s southwestern Guangxi region, is expected to boost trade ties between China and Southeast Asia. Photo: Xinhua
The Pinglu Canal, which stretches 134km (83 miles) across China’s southwestern Guangxi region, is expected to boost trade ties between China and Southeast Asia. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Beyond borders: Beijing equips Chinese firms for global stage amid trade jitters

Ministry of Commerce unveils new resource to help companies navigate the dos and don’ts of complex international markets, and policies will be rolled out appropriately.

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Banking & finance

In a turbulent world, funding Asia’s critical infrastructure a ‘duty’: AIIB

New president says private capital and international cooperation essential to funding infrastructure projects across continent.

Commodities

Gold surge has analysts eyeing new highs after US$5,100 record

Safe-haven demand spikes amid de-dollarisation fears and supply-chain tensions, as gold buyers seek stability against growing macro uncertainties.

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Analysts expect the price of gold to continue climbing this year, building on a safe-haven surge. Photo: AFP
China airliners

Exclusive | Maker of China’s C919 airliner set to ramp up production: sources

With 8 of the 15 planes made last year delivered to customers in November and December, a source said supply chain snags seem to be diminishing.

A China Eastern Airlines C919 begins taxiing to the runway at Hong Kong International Airport in January last year. Photo: Eugene Lee
A China Eastern Airlines C919 begins taxiing to the runway at Hong Kong International Airport in January last year. Photo: Eugene Lee
Artificial intelligence

Open Questions | Jeffrey Ding on why diffusion, not innovation, is the secret to AI success

Professor says a ‘diffusion marathon’, where AI is gradually embedded in an economy over decades, will determine the winner of US-China tech war.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmaker BYD chases 24% export growth with new models, more showrooms

Shenzhen-based company expects to sell 1.3 million cars this year outside mainland China.

China's population

‘Loneliness economy’: how China is adapting to a rapid rise in solo living

The viral success of check-in app Are You Dead? has exposed the vast demand for services catering to China’s rapidly growing single population.

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A user checks in using the viral app Are You Dead?, also known as Demumu in English, which surged to the top of the paid app chart on Apple’s AppStore in China last week. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Vietnam grabs bigger slice of China’s durian market as Thailand loses ground

Vietnam’s exports of the pungent fruit to China rose by US$500 million in 2025 as the country emerges as a serious rival to Thailand.

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People work at a durian processing facility in China’s southwestern Guangxi region. China is by far the world’s largest market for the spiky, pungent fruit. Photo: Xinhua
People work at a durian processing facility in China’s southwestern Guangxi region. China is by far the world’s largest market for the spiky, pungent fruit. Photo: Xinhua
China exports

Explainer | How are US tariffs and trade barriers redrawing China’s export map?

While exports to the US fell last year, other markets more than made up the difference.

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China manufacturing

Asian CEOs feeling burden of China, US tech restrictions, survey finds

More than 40% of global CEOs ‘most concerned’ about supply chain disruptions.

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China energy security

In Davos debut, Musk highlights key China advantage in AI race

China’s energy supply edge was also at the heart of a panel discussion on clean energy in Europe.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

Major foreign carmakers set to stage a comeback in China this year: analysts

Foreign carmakers ‘will fight back because they will have the same products’ as their Chinese rivals, consultancy head Denis Depoux says.

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

‘No choice’: China seen eyeing consumption as a route out of export reliance

Beijing’s policies seen putting income growth above GDP, with investments in social welfare, future tech and advanced manufacturing to spur internal demand.

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US-China trade war

‘Not sustainable’: China central bank adviser flags US debt risk

As concerns mount over America’s ballooning debt, one of Beijing’s economic advisers warns fiscal discipline may not be on cards.

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China has now reduced its holdings of US debt to the lowest level since 2008. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

Chips, soybeans, tariffs: what’s on tap for US-China talks before a Trump visit?

Analysts expect any pre-summit talks to focus on deliverables such as easing semiconductor curbs and boosting agricultural sales, setting the stage for Xi and Trump.

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A discussion about stepping up trade in artificial intelligence chips may be on the cards in potential US-China talks before the next in-person meeting involving presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Photo: Shutterstock
A discussion about stepping up trade in artificial intelligence chips may be on the cards in potential US-China talks before the next in-person meeting involving presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

US losing out to China with ‘onslaught’ on cutting-edge research: Nobel laureate

America risks losing the tech race to China unless it elects a government more supportive of scientific research, Nobel-winning economist says.

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China exports

How China is rethinking export-led growth as global trade walls rise

Protectionism is forcing a shift towards balancing exports with outbound investment, analysts say.

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.

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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
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