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The IMF headquarters during the first day of the 2026 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Washington on April 13. Photo: Kent Nishimura

Global Economy

IMF cuts China’s GDP growth forecast to 4.4% as Iran war hits global economy

The latest projection is 0.1 percentage lower than January’s estimate but higher than October’s.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

Kazakh sovereign fund issues Central Asia’s first panda bond in ‘milestone’ sale

14 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

China’s exports slow as Iran war impact begins to bite

14 Apr 2026 - 5:04PM

Global Economy

China turns to central Asia as US blockade in Hormuz chokes global energy flows

Chinese vice-premier to visit major gas field in Turkmenistan as Beijing aims to shore up energy security and diversify away from volatile maritime routes.

14 Apr 2026 - 4:30PM

In this 2013 image, President Xi Jinping stands alongside a model of the purification plant in Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field during an opening ceremony. Photo: Getty Images

Global Economy

China’s March trade

Exports from China slowed while imports surged in the first full month of trade data following the outbreak of the US war against Iran on February 28.

14 Apr 2026 - 3:34PM

Economic Indicators

China’s imports surge in March as exports soften amid Hormuz blockade

Export figures fall short of predictions, rising by 2.5 per cent, while imports grow by 27.8 per cent as conflict in Middle East causes global disruption.

14 Apr 2026 - 7:08PM

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Global Economy

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

Airlines are cutting flights, as dependence on Middle Eastern fuel hits operators from Pakistan to New Zealand.

14 Apr 2026 - 12:10PMvideocam

A Vietjet Airline airplane in front of a Vietnam Airlines airplane, at Noi Bai International Airport, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Global Economy

Brussels must resist ‘passive’ role in US-China trade war, EU chamber urges

European companies keep becoming ‘collateral damage’ in others’ disputes, laments president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

Economy

Hungary’s PM-elect Magyar sends warm overture to China, vows fair play for firms

Peter Magyar pledges reforms to restore transparency and fiscal stability as Hungary shifts from Viktor Orban’s investment model.

14 Apr 2026 - 12:37AMvideocam

Global Economy

‘Doctor Doom’ Roubini turns ‘Doctor Boom’, predicting huge economic growth in US

Nouriel Roubini predicted the 2008 financial crisis – now he says an explosion of hi-tech will be unlike anything mankind has ever seen, trivialising near-term headwinds.

13 Apr 2026 - 6:06PM

Economist Nouriel Roubini said artificial intelligence and other hi-tech advancements could propel America’s annual economic growth into the double digits. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Global Economy

China, the Iran war and the chemical suddenly stoking global supply fears

Food security is one of Beijing’s top policy goals – and that could spell trouble for countries dependent on Chinese sulphuric acid.

13 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

An aerial photo shows workers unloading imported fertilisers at the Lianyungang port, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, on April 8. Photo: AFP

Global Economy

Yuan’s ‘golden window’ is open, former PBOC governor says as US dollar ebbs

Zhou Xiaochuan, who laid the foundation for China’s currency to go global, says Beijing can capitalise on changes in the international monetary landscape.

13 Apr 2026 - 2:59PM

China Business

China’s tea-drink shops thirst for profits as price wars dry up prospects

‘I am learning a hard lesson of how involution can destroy my business,’ a Shanghai shop operator says.

13 Apr 2026 - 12:38PM

Policy

China launches national plan to boost AI education

Building nationwide artificial intelligence infrastructure is a central part of the plan.

13 Apr 2026 - 10:57AM

Children watch robots perform at the science and technology museum in Haian, Jiangsu province, on April 2. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

Exclusive | China’s C919 faces ‘final exam’ as EU pilots stay in Shanghai ‘permanently’: sources

Flight tests a ‘final exam’ to be followed by analysis, paperwork and technical verification, but ‘political considerations’ also in play.

13 Apr 2026 - 10:02AM

A C919 takes to the skies at the Singapore Airshow in February. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Viktor Orban concedes defeat as Hungarian voters end his 16-year rule

Record turnout hands opposition Tisza Party a decisive victory in Hungary.

13 Apr 2026 - 8:42AM

China Economy

How China’s fake Titanic sank like a stone – and became a symbol of local excess

In 2014, a Chinese investor raised millions to build a full-scale replica of the Titanic. Now, all that remains is a rusting hull – and vast debts.

12 Apr 2026 - 4:00PM

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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?

6 Aug 2025 - 10:14AMvideocam

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.

17 Aug 2025 - 7:51AM

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.

15 Aug 2025 - 8:41AMvideocam

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.

15 Aug 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

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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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

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)

German leader greeted by robot dance troupe in China

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Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

South Korea now tops the list of Lunar New Year destinations for Chinese travellers amid heightened tensions between China and the former top destination, Japan.

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TRENDING TOPICS

China manufacturing

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MOST POPULAR

1

As France pulls gold from the US, how can China become the next global gold hub?

8 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

2

Exclusive | China’s C919 faces ‘final exam’ as EU pilots stay in Shanghai ‘permanently’: sources

13 Apr 2026 - 10:02AM

3

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

6 Apr 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

4

Conflict catalyst: China’s yuan settlements hit record amid Middle East tensions

9 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

5

‘Cancelling orders’ in China: Hormuz oil crisis hits transport and manufacturing

11 Apr 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam