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A foreign buyer checks footballs at a store in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

China Economy

How this Chinese city is netting profits amid 2026 World Cup fever

Yiwu, the world’s capital of small goods, tackles global market for football-related merchandise as buzz builds ahead of major tournament.

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‘It’s a new crowd’: how Shanghai’s expat population is recovering – and changing

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Brussels bans Chinese inverters from EU-funded power projects

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China Economy

China’s economy in 2026

First-quarter GDP grew 5 per cent as strong manufacturing and exports masked weak domestic spending and a March slowdown.

China’s economy in 2026

China Economy

China’s fight for Darwin Port could help fragile Sino-Australian relations

Landbridge Group’s legal claim over the port could take several years to resolve, analysts said, providing more time for dialogue.

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China Economy

How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence

China accounts for about a third of global fertiliser production, and 70 per cent of the raw materials for chemical pesticides.

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China Economy

Shenzhen’s economic dilemma: soaring GDP, stagnant consumption

Shenzhen’s retail sales barely rose in the first quarter despite strong GDP growth, a sign of the Chinese tech hub’s unbalanced development.

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People shop at CoCo Park in Shenzhen last month. Photo: Edmond So
People shop at CoCo Park in Shenzhen last month. Photo: Edmond So

Global Economy

Exiting China market a ‘self-inflicted wound’ for US tech, think tank warns

ITIF argues that regional sales help finance domestic R&D and block local rivals, while warning that a full exit would be a self-inflicted wound to innovation leadership.

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Global Economy

How China is quietly reshaping Southeast Asia’s payments beyond the US dollar

New initiative lets consumers use home-grown apps like Alipay for cross-border payments – supporting Beijing’s push to expand regional financial links.

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China Economy

China’s critical minerals grip faces test as new Asian financing tool launches

Japan, Britain and other nations have pledged millions to the new scheme, as China’s dominance of critical minerals sector faces fresh challenge.

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A skip loader shifts earth at a rare earth metals mine in China’s Jiangxi province. Photo: Reuters

China Economy

China’s ‘common prosperity’ push faces reality check as inequality rises: study

A leading economist warns widening income and wealth gaps are constraining Beijing’s agenda.

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A man sits on a shared bike as he looks at a Lamborghini for sale at a luxury car dealership in an upscale commercial area on November 5, 2024, in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
A man sits on a shared bike as he looks at a Lamborghini for sale at a luxury car dealership in an upscale commercial area on November 5, 2024, in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images

Banking & Finance

Kazakhstan’s AIFC discussing stock-trading links with Shanghai, Hong Kong

Cross-border trading connections could start with ETFs, says special economic zone’s governor.

China Economy

Open Questions | Bai Chongen on China’s new economic paradigm and closing the US tech gap

Top economist explains how China has less in common with 1990s Japan than many think – and why talk of Chinese overcapacity is often ‘imprecise’.

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China Economy

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

Farmers in Hebi, Henan province, water newly sown corn in June 2024 after an El Nino event that lasted around a year. Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

China Economy

China powers up first green energy project with direct link to data centre

The development in Ningxia is intended to balance AI-driven demand for computing capacity with the drive to cut carbon emissions.

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The project is located in Ningxia, a major centre for renewable energy. Photo: Handout
The project is located in Ningxia, a major centre for renewable energy. Photo: Handout

China Economy

How China’s industrial tourism is creating a new generation of tech-savvy kids

Electric vehicle and drone factory visits are on the rise, turning workplaces into educational sites in the AI era.

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China Economy

From Beijing to backwaters? Why China’s live music boom is spreading

Local authorities are using big concerts to attract tourists and revenue, part of broader efforts to boost consumption under new five-year plan.

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Global Economy

Why America’s brute-force effort on rare earths may not work against China

China spent decades carving out a commanding lead in the rare earth realm. Now the US wants its old piece of the supply chain back – is it still within reach?

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Illustration: Henry Wong

Global Economy

Chinese ‘vertical dramas’ are booming in America. Should Hollywood be worried?

Chinese platforms hosting bite-size soap operas about werewolves and mafia dons are drawing big audiences – and shaking up the streaming market.

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China Economy

As megacities slow, China’s smaller counties lead as new consumer hotspots

Survey last year found that nearly 80 per cent of consumers in China’s third- and fourth-tier cities were optimistic about the economy.

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China Economy

China rises up ‘elite quality’ league table as AI investment booms

China ranked 19th in the latest Elite Quality Index, which assesses whether national elites create sustainable value for their countries.

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Visitors watch humanoid robots fight at the Unitree Robotics booth during the World Robot Conference in Beijing. China has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging sectors in recent years. Photo: Reuters
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OPINION
Matt Terrell

Opinion | America builds AI, China uses it. That gap may decide the future

Matt Terrell
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Zhou Xiaoming

Opinion | How US tech hegemony is locking out the Global South

Zhou Xiaoming
Nicholas Spiro

The View | Energy crisis showcases strengths of China’s data centre market

Nicholas Spiro
Ran Guo

Opinion | World may find itself ‘in a very Chinese time’ of data governance

Ran Guo
Zongshuai Fan

Opinion | Beyond subsidies: what’s really driving China’s industrial climb

Zongshuai Fan
Nicholas Spiro

Macroscope | How the AI boom is helping Asia weather the Iran war energy shock

Nicholas Spiro
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

World’s top condom maker to raise prices over Iran war

ONE condoms by Karex on display in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia April 21, 2026. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain
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The Iran war is going to hurt your skincare routine

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Small hobby businesses hit by rising costs from Iran war

Thai figurine studio founder calls for an urgent lifeline to help small businesses stay afloat
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Iran war sparks fuel crises in parts of Asia

Clients queue at a gas station amid rising petrol prices in Karachi on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
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US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: Mahbubani

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How China is quietly reshaping Southeast Asia’s payments beyond the US dollar

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Open Questions | Bai Chongen on China’s new economic paradigm and closing the US tech gap

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