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Economy /

Policy

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Regulation
Financial regulation
People’s Bank of China (PBOC)
Yuan
Currencies
China trade
China GDP
China's population
China manufacturing
illustration by Lau Ka-kuen
China jobs

From gala spectacle to job scare: Chinese workers confront the AI threat

The country’s economy – with an expansive public sector – is better positioned to withstand AI shocks, but more government support is needed.

Banking & finance

China adviser sees bright future for yuan payment system in emerging economies

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China-Japan relations

China adds Japanese entities to export control list, turning up heat on Tokyo

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China consumption

China targets foreign tourists for Lunar New Year ‘consumption feast’

Beijing sees huge untapped potential in spending by inbound travellers as it strives to drive up demand over the crucial nine-day holiday.

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Tourists from Russia take selfies on the Bund in Shanghai. China is keen to drive up spending by inbound travellers over the Lunar New Year. Photo: Xinhua
Tourists from Russia take selfies on the Bund in Shanghai. China is keen to drive up spending by inbound travellers over the Lunar New Year. Photo: Xinhua
China’s crackdowns

Gold rush backlash: why China is clamping down on ‘get rich’ promises

Regulators intervene to contain fallout after volatility in global prices sparks market turmoil at home.

US-China trade war

Chinese premier tours rare earths production hub amid rising US tech rivalry

Premier Li Qiang called for China to consolidate its lead in industries like rare earths, where Beijing has a strategic edge over Washington.

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Belt and Road Initiative

‘Time is ripe’: why China is eyeing another vast canal link to Southeast Asia

China has almost completed the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal connecting its heartlands to Southeast Asia. Now, it is mulling an even larger waterway.

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Construction continues on the Pinglu Canal in China’s southern Guangxi region in January. The canal is due to open before the end of 2026. Photo: Xinhua
Construction continues on the Pinglu Canal in China’s southern Guangxi region in January. The canal is due to open before the end of 2026. Photo: Xinhua
China GDP

China’s future growth rate could drop to 2.5% without market reforms: economist

China will struggle to keep growth above 4 per cent unless there is a ‘strong turnaround’ in productivity and consumer spending, economist warns.

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Banking & finance

China pushes to shore up government finances with tax rises on several sectors

Beijing targets tax incentives in telecoms and other industries after seeing fiscal revenue drop sharply in late 2025.

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China GDP

Tale of 2 megacities: how did Beijing, Shanghai GDPs surpass 5 trillion yuan?

China’s two largest cities are outpacing national growth rates, each generating gross domestic products equal to a small European country.

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People hang out at The Bund as the financial district of Pudong is seen in the background in Shanghai, China. The GDPs of Beijing and Shanghai have now exceeded 5 trillion yuan and both cities are comparable to European countries Sweden and Belgium. Photo: Reuters
China jobs

Is China about to end its after-school tutoring ban? A huge fine suggests not

Speculation was growing that Beijing would relax a ban on for-profit tutoring to boost the economy. Then a firm was hit with a US$9.7 million penalty.

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China banned for-profit academic tutoring in 2021 as part of a wider “double reduction” policy aimed at reducing the pressure on students. Photo: Shutterstock
China banned for-profit academic tutoring in 2021 as part of a wider “double reduction” policy aimed at reducing the pressure on students. Photo: Shutterstock
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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China consumption

China’s consumer spending push faces major challenge – debt-averse households

Beijing has renewed its focus on boosting domestic demand in recent months, but households are cutting debt at fastest pace in years.

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China technology

‘Epoch-making’: Xi Jinping urges home-grown AI breakthroughs – but flags risks

The Chinese leader says emerging technologies bring huge opportunities, while warning officials against blind investment.

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President Xi Jinping addresses the study session at the Central Party School in Beijing on January 20. Photo: Xinhua
China jobs

‘Invest in people’: China raises minimum wages to boost household spending

Most provinces increased pay for low-paid jobs in 2025, part of nationwide efforts to tackle deflationary pressures.

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Workers sew garments at a textile factory in Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on December 15, 2025. As provinces raise the minimum wage, low-paid workers will see the most benefit. Photo: AFP
Workers sew garments at a textile factory in Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on December 15, 2025. As provinces raise the minimum wage, low-paid workers will see the most benefit. Photo: AFP
China GDP

Exclusive | China to set GDP growth range, providing policy flexibility in 2026: sources

Establishing a range for the official growth target, to be revealed in March, would suggest tolerance for some deceleration amid challenges.

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China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down – but labour market strains persist

Beijing vows to prioritise job market in 2026, the first year of new five-year plan.

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Artificial intelligence

Beijing outlines tech push with focus on AI, 6G, humanoid robots

Tech ministry’s plan targets breakthroughs in AI models, agents and chips, as well as AI’s spread into diverse sectors.

A child interacts with a robot at a store in Shenzhen, in south China’s Guangdong province, on January 16, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
A child interacts with a robot at a store in Shenzhen, in south China’s Guangdong province, on January 16, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

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

China’s average effective tariff rate estimated to be as low as 1.3 per cent in 2025, helping it secure raw materials and build soft power.

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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.

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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.

Regulators are moving to cool pockets of overheating in the A-share market following a strong start to 2026. Photo: AFP
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.

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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
China stock market

China pushes slow bull run with tightened margin financing rules

‘Investors should reduce their leverage levels to guard against the risk of volatility,’ BOC International’s Wang Jun says.

Banking & finance

China to cut relending rates, widen credit support for private sector and tech

Beyond the central bank’s rate cuts that take effect Monday, authorities will work to lower the minimum down payment for commercial property purchase loans to 30 per cent.

China consumption

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

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Cranes tower above an unfinished apartment building in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
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