https://www.scmp.com/rss/318421/feed China economy news, including budget, the stock market and analysis. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat Xinyi Wu,Mia Nurmamat China’s economy grew 5 per cent year on year in the first quarter, beating market expectations despite the global impact of the US-Israel war in Iran, which analysts said indicates the country remains on track to meet its full-year growth target without the need for near-term stimulus. The closely watched gross domestic product growth figure, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday, beat the 4.86 per cent forecast by economists polled by financial data provider Wind. It... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3350237/china-records-5-gdp-growth-first-quarter-track-annual-target?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3350237/china-records-5-gdp-growth-first-quarter-track-annual-target?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:00:21 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Rising tensions in the Middle East cast a fresh shadow over the opening of China’s largest trade fair, at a time when the impact of geopolitical shocks is being reflected in the nation’s trade figures. In conversations across sprawling exhibition halls after the Canton Fair opened its doors on Wednesday in China’s manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, domestic exporters and foreign buyers sounded each other out, trying to gauge how far those shocks might ripple through global trade. The threat of US... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350200/canton-fair-under-middle-east-cloud-sets-records-high-costs-hit-chinas-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350200/canton-fair-under-middle-east-cloud-sets-records-high-costs-hit-chinas-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong A decoupling between China and the United States is something “that you don’t want to see”, says former US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, adding that both countries have developed deep trade and investment relationships that should be preserved and encouraged to thrive. Speaking in Hong Kong at the HSBC Global Investment Summit on Wednesday, Yellen also argued that China’s reliance on exports for growth – resulting in a trade surplus with the rest of the world – has created “serious conflicts”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350169/yellen-says-no-alternative-dollar-urges-us-china-cooperation-sake-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350169/yellen-says-no-alternative-dollar-urges-us-china-cooperation-sake-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Though high-level officials in Washington have accused China of undermining global energy security by “hoarding” oil during the US-Israeli war on Iran, import and inventory data suggest Beijing is facing its own supply pressures as the conflict drags on. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday labelled China an “unreliable global partner,” alleging that Beijing has prioritised stockpiling crude over easing global shortages triggered by the war, according to a Reuters report. He also... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350180/us-officials-claim-china-hoarding-oil-what-does-data-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350180/us-officials-claim-china-hoarding-oil-what-does-data-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:30:09 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The US-Israeli war on Iran and the current Iranian and American blockades of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to overshadow China’s first-quarter economic performance, analysts said, with questions looming large about how the world’s second-largest economy will handle their impact. Many observers said they expect the leadership in Beijing will adopt a wait-and-see approach, with little likelihood of an immediate stimulus to guarantee the country’s annual economic target is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3350181/analysts-doubt-iran-war-will-prompt-china-stimulus-tip-solid-first-quarter-gdp-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3350181/analysts-doubt-iran-war-will-prompt-china-stimulus-tip-solid-first-quarter-gdp-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:24 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China’s leading steelmakers are stepping up coordinated efforts to adjust export strategies, compliance systems and pricing models in response to this year’s full implementation of the EU’s tariff-like Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which imposes direct carbon-linked costs on imports. “China’s indirect steel exports to the EU are substantial, and a significant portion consists of high value-added products,” said Jiang Wei, vice-chairman and secretary general of the China Iron and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350177/chinese-steelmakers-coordinate-response-eus-carbon-linked-import-imposts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350177/chinese-steelmakers-coordinate-response-eus-carbon-linked-import-imposts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:30:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s central government has publicly criticised several local authorities – including a relatively poor county in Sichuan province – for “imprudent” fiscal spending for the first time in an ongoing campaign urging officials to adopt a “correct view” of political performance. Among those named was a county in the southwestern province of Sichuan once ranked among the country’s poorest. Zhaojue county was said to have used transfer payments from higher-level governments to fund three tourism... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350133/sour-note-china-criticises-local-governments-imprudent-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350133/sour-note-china-criticises-local-governments-imprudent-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:24 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the US imposes its own blockade on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of talks with Iran at the weekend, we take a look at how major economies in Asia and Europe could be affected by further restrictions on passage through one of the world’s most critical choke points for energy supplies. Who is most vulnerable in this energy crisis? According to a recent report by Japanese investment bank Nomura, the regions most exposed to the tensions in the Persian Gulf are Asian... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its global economic growth forecast, including for China, citing shocks from the US-Israeli war in Iran. In its flagship World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday, the IMF projected worldwide gross domestic product growth at 3.1 per cent this year, down 0.2 percentage points from its January estimate. China – the world’s second-largest economy – is now expected to expand by 4.4 per cent this year. That would miss the IMF’s January estimate by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350042/imf-cuts-chinas-gdp-growth-forecast-44-iran-war-pressures-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350042/imf-cuts-chinas-gdp-growth-forecast-44-iran-war-pressures-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang A leading sovereign wealth fund from Central Asia has cast a vote of confidence in Chinese debt and the country’s currency by becoming the first institution from the region to sell yuan-denominated debt, known as panda bonds, in China’s onshore market. The decision by Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, to sell 3 billion yuan (US$440 million) in China’s interbank market comes as global investors are looking for safe havens amid geopolitical uncertainties such as the Iran war. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350040/kazakh-sovereign-fund-issues-central-asias-first-panda-bond-milestone-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350040/kazakh-sovereign-fund-issues-central-asias-first-panda-bond-milestone-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:00:24 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s export growth slowed more than expected in March, while imports surged the most since 2021, as the war in Iran upends global trade. Exports rose 2.5 per cent, according to customs data released on Tuesday, missing the 4 per cent forecast among economists polled by financial data provider Wind. Imports surged 27.8 per cent, almost five times expectations. A later Chinese new year and high base last year weighed on export growth. The trade balance slumped to a 13-month low US$51.1 billion,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3350033/chinas-exports-slow-iran-war-impact-begins-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3350033/chinas-exports-slow-iran-war-impact-begins-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:04:50 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong As China looks to central Asia for more energy supplies to offset shipping disruptions amid the Iran war, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang will travel to Turkmenistan to visit local gas fields and to attend a bilateral cooperation meeting. Ding, who is China’s top-ranking vice-premier, will kick off his three-day visit on Wednesday by attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth phase of the Galkynysh gas field as President Xi Jinping’s special representative, Xinhua reported. Ding will also... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350028/china-turns-central-asia-us-blockade-hormuz-chokes-global-energy-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350028/china-turns-central-asia-us-blockade-hormuz-chokes-global-energy-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:30:02 +0000 Fan Hou,Haining Gao Fan Hou,Haining Gao China’s export growth slowed to 2.5 per cent in March, while imports rose 27.8 per cent, narrowing the monthly trade surplus to US$51 billion, the lowest in over a year. Sectors Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to fuel export growth this year as high petrol prices accelerate the shift away from internal combustion engines. In March, total motor vehicle exports jumped 44 per cent according to China Customs, while EV exports soared 140 per cent per the China Passenger Car... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3349996/chinas-march-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/global-economy/article/3349996/chinas-march-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:34:13 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Xinyi Wu Mia Nurmamat,Xinyi Wu China is feeling the economic pain of Iran war shocks, with export growth softening and imports surging considerably in March as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz pushed up transport, commodity and energy costs. However, analysts said China was likely to weather the impact better than other countries this year, thanks to its huge domestic market and its complete and efficient manufacturing base. Exports rose 2.5 per cent year on year to US$321.03 billion in March, according to data released by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349849/chinas-imports-surge-march-exports-soften-amid-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349849/chinas-imports-surge-march-exports-soften-amid-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:04:25 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu A leading European business association in China has urged Brussels to avoid becoming a “passive recipient” of US-China trade negotiations, as European firms scramble to navigate Beijing’s export controls. In a report released on Tuesday, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China asserted that the EU must take the lead in discussions affecting its interests, while urging Beijing to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to export controls. “We’re in a situation where Europe simply cannot... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349937/brussels-must-resist-passive-role-us-china-trade-war-eu-chamber-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349937/brussels-must-resist-passive-role-us-china-trade-war-eu-chamber-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The economist famously dubbed “Doctor Doom” for predicting the 2008 financial crisis has seemingly morphed into a bullish “Doctor Boom” with his latest economic outlook. Nouriel Roubini now predicts that a “Cambrian explosion” of technological advances – including artificial intelligence – could propel the US’ potential economic growth to 4 per cent by 2030, and as high as 10 per cent in less than a quarter-century, overshadowing Middle East oil shocks and other near-term headwinds. Framing AI... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:06:00 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s reported decision to halt sulphuric acid exports, together with the failure of peace talks between the United States and Iran over the weekend, risks driving prices higher and disrupting global mining and fertiliser supply chains that have few readily available alternatives. Beijing had indicated it would halt shipments of sulphuric acid from May, according to reports from Acuity Commodities and Bloomberg, though no official announcement has been made. Economists said food security sat... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349884/china-iran-war-and-chemical-suddenly-stoking-global-supply-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349884/china-iran-war-and-chemical-suddenly-stoking-global-supply-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:00:01 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Faltering confidence in the US dollar has handed China a “golden window of opportunity” to promote the global use of its currency, according to a former head of the Chinese central bank. “The core driving force behind the current changes in the international monetary system is the United States’ own policy choices,” Zhou Xiaochuan was quoted as saying in a report published on Sunday by the New Economist, a Chinese think tank. He cited the broad application of American tariffs, the frequent use... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349868/yuans-golden-window-open-former-pboc-governor-says-us-dollar-credibility-teeters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349868/yuans-golden-window-open-former-pboc-governor-says-us-dollar-credibility-teeters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:59:34 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s tea-drink market, with estimated annual sales of 370 billion yuan (US$54.2 billion), has become yet another example of involution as brutal price competition threatens to expel thousands of unprofitable small players. The dire scenario represents a rude reminder to those who hope to strike it rich by investing in a fast-growing business in mainland China’s vast consumer market, which abounds with boom-to-bust cycles. “Bubble tea is a dynamic market, and it is never easy to make money... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349847/chinas-tea-drink-shops-thirst-profits-price-wars-dry-prospects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349847/chinas-tea-drink-shops-thirst-profits-price-wars-dry-prospects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:35:43 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has launched a national action plan to embed AI across its education system, in a strategic push to future-proof its workforce amid intensifying global competition in advanced technologies. The “AI+ Education” action plan, unveiled by the Ministry of Education and four other ministerial-level bodies, mandates the integration of artificial intelligence at every stage of learning – from primary schools to lifelong education. The initiative builds on China’s long-term education plan to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:57:32 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China’s aviation authorities have mobilised a range of resources to support European certification of the C919, the home-grown airliner aiming to take on Boeing and Airbus, with steady progress made in recent months, multiple sources said. Technicians and pilots from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have set up shop in Shanghai for more checks and in-flight tests in recent months, according to a source who took part in some technological exchanges with the agency. “They now stay... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349669/eu-tests-chinas-c919-speed-pilots-stay-shanghai-permanently-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349669/eu-tests-chinas-c919-speed-pilots-stay-shanghai-permanently-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Xiaofei Xu,Finbarr Bermingham Viktor Orban’s 16-year grip on Hungary is over, with the prime minister conceding Sunday’s election in a phone call with Peter Magyar, leader of the main opposition Tisza Party. “The election result is painful but clear. I congratulated the winning party,” Orban said from his election headquarters in Budapest. The result is a resounding rebuke to a government marked by authoritarianism and corruption, and by closer ties with Beijing, Moscow and Donald Trump’s Washington over Brussels. Hungarians... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349821/orban-concedes-defeat-hungarian-voters-deliver-sweeping-rebuke-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349821/orban-concedes-defeat-hungarian-voters-deliver-sweeping-rebuke-16-year-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:44:52 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng When Su Shaojun launched an audacious plan to build a life-size replica of the Titanic, he felt he was on to a sure-fire winner. After all, James Cameron’s iconic 1997 film had been a worldwide hit – including in China, where it had grossed over US$200 million. At a press event to unveil the project in 2014, Su invited the actor Bernard Hill – who played the captain of the Titanic in the film – to appear alongside him as he told the assembled reporters in Hong Kong that his company aimed to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349667/how-chinas-fake-titanic-sank-stone-and-became-symbol-local-excess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349667/how-chinas-fake-titanic-sank-stone-and-became-symbol-local-excess?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Hyundai Motor has spearheaded a comeback among foreign marques vying for a slice of the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market, launching a new brand built around local technologies and partnerships. The South Korean carmaker, which reversed a six-year sales decline in 2025, said it would soon introduce production models under the Ioniq brand tailored for Chinese consumers, as it steps up its push into the world’s largest automotive market. “The newly launched Ioniq brand in China evolves beyond a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:20:54 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Two months after the United States’ capture and forcible extradition of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – and as the South American country attempts to settle into a state of relative normalcy in the aftermath of the military incursion – a cohort of Chinese migrants are relocating there in search of business opportunities. Not all are new arrivals. Mey Hou, a long-term Venezuela resident in her 40s who fled the country during Maduro’s tenure, said many people from her hometown in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s top intelligence agency has warned university students to be wary of lucrative job postings that may serve as covers for foreign espionage, as they begin searching for work ahead of a record graduation season. Offers such as earning 800 yuan (US$117) a day for remote data processing or research projects promising easy money could be “traps” to recruit students to illegally collect sensitive information for foreign intelligence agencies, the Ministry of State Security said. “Be wary of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349670/china-warns-university-students-beware-well-paid-jobs-offered-foreign-spies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349670/china-warns-university-students-beware-well-paid-jobs-offered-foreign-spies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat,He Huifeng Ralph Jennings,Mia Nurmamat,He Huifeng As the Strait of Hormuz reopened and closed again this week, manufacturers across China are navigating a roller coaster of concerns rooted in supply and pricing volatilities. Soaring oil prices have already filtered through to processed fuel and petroleum-based raw materials that help power China’s manufacturing sector – the world’s largest – and a fragile two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is unlikely to restore pre-conflict stability in the near term, according to industry... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349653/cancelling-orders-china-how-hormuz-oil-crisis-hitting-transport-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349653/cancelling-orders-china-how-hormuz-oil-crisis-hitting-transport-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:11 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo A close mainland relative cried her eyes out while video-calling with my wife and me recently. Like many in China who have bought property since the late 2010s, she is sitting on a big loss with her flat outside downtown Chongqing. The city saw sales pick up around the time of the Spring Festival, traditionally an off-season. But when she tried her luck, the offers from potential buyers were brutal, and she called off the sale. Knowing that I work for an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349327/helpful-analysts-predict-china-property-recovery-now-soon-and-much-later?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349327/helpful-analysts-predict-china-property-recovery-now-soon-and-much-later?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun In classrooms and training centres across China, a growing number of students from Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond are learning not just the Chinese language, but how the country’s factories operate, how supply chains are managed and how products are marketed and sold across borders. Hebei Software Institute, in the northern city of Baoding, has been at the forefront of the push. The vocational college said it had established multiple overseas-oriented programmes in recent years, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349616/vocational-schools-new-front-chinas-strategy-support-businesses-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Teng Bingsheng Teng Bingsheng As China enters its 15th five-year plan, policymakers face a structural constraint that cannot be eased with another round of infrastructure spending or property stimulus. The demographic dividend that powered four decades of expansion is fading. Industrial competition has intensified. The central economic question is no longer how fast China can grow, but how productively. Artificial intelligence, specifically the rise of AI agents, may offer part of the answer. Deployed at scale, these systems... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow With US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell reported to have held urgent talks over Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence model, experts are warning that immediate cybersecurity assessments are needed to avert potential economic damage running into the hundreds of billions of US dollars. Across the Pacific, however, analysts said China’s banks were taking a more cautious approach, as Beijing prioritises financial stability and intensifies monitoring of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s green energy transition is expanding from a domestic security priority into a potent geopolitical asset at a time of heightened global uncertainty, according to the latest official reading of the country’s 15th five-year plan. That shift has been tested in recent weeks by the US-Israeli war in Iran and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies. While Tehran signalled it would reopen the strait on Tuesday under a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349646/why-chinas-green-energy-strategy-may-shield-it-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349646/why-chinas-green-energy-strategy-may-shield-it-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Travellers stepping out of the railway station at Hungary’s second-biggest city, Debrecen, are immediately greeted by a banner hanging over the street that reads “No battery, no deal”, “Debrecen belongs to Hungarians” and “Chinese, go home”. Targeting a mega-factory set up by Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), it also calls for a protest on Saturday, on the eve of Sunday’s general election in the central European nation. The banner was put up by the local candidate... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349649/chinese-firms-hungary-face-post-election-reckoning-no-matter-who-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349649/chinese-firms-hungary-face-post-election-reckoning-no-matter-who-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s factory-gate prices rose for the first time in more than three years in March, in an early sign that the US-Israel war on Iran is starting to affect producers in the world’s second-largest economy. The producer price index (PPI) – a measure of factory-gate prices – increased by 0.5 per cent year on year in March, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. The result broke a long deflationary period stretching for 41 consecutive months, with rising global... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349582/chinas-factory-gate-prices-rise-first-time-3-years-iran-war-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349582/chinas-factory-gate-prices-rise-first-time-3-years-iran-war-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:32:34 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng While the world remains divided over the unresolved issue of toll collection in the Strait of Hormuz, some Chinese experts have proposed pegging fees to oil prices or using exportable digital tokens from China for settlements. If tolls were to be imposed in this strategic chokepoint for global energy trade, settlement mechanisms could be “innovative”, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University. “Tolls and settlements could be tied to oil prices or... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349545/hormuz-toll-debate-china-experts-propose-innovative-solutions-impasse-persists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349545/hormuz-toll-debate-china-experts-propose-innovative-solutions-impasse-persists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:00:11 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Rising demand for yuan settlement amid Middle East tensions is driving record transaction amounts in China’s cross-border payment system, analysts said, building on years of efforts to bolster financial infrastructure and expand its global network. “The Middle East conflict may have acted as a catalyst,” said Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered, citing rising demand for yuan settlement, particularly in oil trade. China’s Cross-border Interbank... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349516/chinas-yuan-settlements-hit-record-and-iran-conflict-looking-catalyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349516/chinas-yuan-settlements-hit-record-and-iran-conflict-looking-catalyst?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Scholar and author Sheng-Wei Wang discusses how studying an ancient Chinese world map led her to conclude China explored and mapped the world before the European Age of Discovery and how the legacy of colonialism and a Eurocentric record of global history continue to affect power dynamics today. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What first made you suspect that it was Chinese explorers and not Europeans who launched the true Age of Discovery? The... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349523/china-always-connector-unlike-europes-colonisers-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349523/china-always-connector-unlike-europes-colonisers-scholar-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:17:24 +0000 Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi Kandy Wong,Ji Siqi China’s exports of energy storage equipment are expected to keep rising as the US-Israeli war in Iran renews global calls for energy independence, industry insiders and analysts said. The total export value of Chinese inverters – key components in energy storage systems – jumped 57 per cent year on year to US$1.66 billion for the first two months of 2026, Chinese customs data showed. Inverters convert electricity generated from batteries and solar panels into usable power for homes, businesses... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349515/chinas-energy-storage-tech-exports-buffer-against-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349515/chinas-energy-storage-tech-exports-buffer-against-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:17 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Are Chinese government bonds a refuge from global economic turmoil? That the financial markets of a country which has struggled to fully shed the “uninvestable” label are being touted by a growing number of investors and analysts as a safe harbour attests to the dramatic shift in perceptions of China since the beginning of last year. Although the “uninvestable” tag applied to Chinese equities, which suffered a prolonged spell of extreme bearishness from 2021 to 2023, the government bond market... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349453/why-investors-should-beware-china-safe-haven-narrative-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349453/why-investors-should-beware-china-safe-haven-narrative-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s state assets watchdog has established a new department to oversee foreign investments, as firms continue to expand their global footprint amid an increasingly turbulent geopolitical outlook. The new bureau, launched by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) on Wednesday, will guide state-owned enterprises in their international operations, according to its website. It will also be responsible for helping firms optimise and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349496/china-strengthens-oversight-state-owned-assets-overseas-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349496/china-strengthens-oversight-state-owned-assets-overseas-amid-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Several major Chinese banks have clawed back staff bonuses or cut salaries amid a sluggish economic recovery and Beijing’s ongoing scrutiny of the financial sector. In their annual reports, an increasing number of lenders, ranging from state-owned institutions to commercial banks, are disclosing the amount of performance-based compensation reclaimed from their employees last year. State-owned Bank of China recovered 47.18 million yuan (US$6.9 million) from 4,630 individuals in 2025, according to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349497/more-chinese-banks-claw-back-bonuses-cut-salaries-despite-mixed-profit-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349497/more-chinese-banks-claw-back-bonuses-cut-salaries-despite-mixed-profit-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:00:43 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, operator of the marketplace that was once the epicentre of global consumer goods trading, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong to support overseas expansion, as the wave of mainland Chinese firms looking to raise funds in the city continues. The state-owned company, which runs the Yiwu international trade market in east China’s Zhejiang province, said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Wednesday that a share sale in Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349483/operator-yiwu-market-former-mecca-global-consumer-goods-trade-eyes-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349483/operator-yiwu-market-former-mecca-global-consumer-goods-trade-eyes-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:03:52 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen President Xi Jinping has signalled a renewed focus on China’s services sector, calling for a demand- and tech-led strategy to reshape growth and create jobs, as policymakers met to chart the path forward. “The focus must be on demand-driven development and reforms as well as empowerment by technologies,” Xi said in a message to a two-day conference on the sector that concluded on Wednesday, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. Highlighting the role of services in tackling some of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349415/xi-jinping-backs-services-sector-power-chinas-next-growth-phase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349415/xi-jinping-backs-services-sector-power-chinas-next-growth-phase?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Mandy Zuo,Daniel Ren Mandy Zuo,Daniel Ren Billionaire investor and philanthropist Ray Dalio has called the US-China relationship the single most critical factor for global well-being, as the war on Iran shakes the world order and leaders of the two superpowers prepare to meet next month. Strong ties between Beijing and Washington could unlock immense progress for humanity, while bad relations could cause catastrophic damage, Dalio warned at an event for his non-profit ocean exploration initiative OceanX in Shanghai on Wednesday. “We are... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349393/ray-dalio-says-us-china-ties-are-critical-world-enters-dangerous-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349393/ray-dalio-says-us-china-ties-are-critical-world-enters-dangerous-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As the French central bank repatriates gold reserves from the United States, analysts say China should seize this “strategic window” to develop itself into the next global gold hub. They added that Beijing can leverage policy stability, alongside Hong Kong’s strengths in fintech such as blockchain, to build a modern gold trading centre, particularly as policy volatility under US President Donald Trump’s second term heightens global concerns and deepens the de-dollarisation trend. “I think [the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349343/france-pulls-gold-us-how-can-china-develop-next-global-gold-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349343/france-pulls-gold-us-how-can-china-develop-next-global-gold-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen China has implemented a new regulation on supply chain security that hands officials the power to punish any entities deemed to threaten the country’s access to vital resources and the free flow of goods, as Beijing confronts an increasingly turbulent global outlook. The 18-point regulation – which was passed and became effective on March 31, but the full text of which was only published on Tuesday – elevates safeguarding China’s industrial and supply chains to a national security issue. The new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349351/china-enforces-new-security-rules-defend-supply-chains-global-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3349351/china-enforces-new-security-rules-defend-supply-chains-global-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:30:09 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This document was translated from Chinese into English using Alibaba’s Qwen3.6-Plus, then checked and tweaked for accuracy by a Post journalist. It is for reference only, and is not the official English version of the original Chinese document. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349381/explaining-chinas-supply-chain-security-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3349381/explaining-chinas-supply-chain-security-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:16:37 +0000 Qiyuan Xu,Panpan Yang Qiyuan Xu,Panpan Yang Global imbalances are once again taking shape, albeit differently than how they manifested before the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Back then, the story was simple: some countries, led by China and Germany, saved too much, while the United States consumed too much. The answer, at least in theory, was also simple: surplus countries should rely more on domestic demand while deficit countries should save more; exchange rates should adjust. While that framework still matters, it no longer... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349158/how-ai-and-geopolitical-rivalry-are-breaking-economic-orthodoxy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349158/how-ai-and-geopolitical-rivalry-are-breaking-economic-orthodoxy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese electric vehicle (EV) batteries are set to become safer and more powerful, as carmakers including SAIC Motor and Chery Automobile outline road maps for the commercialisation of solid-state technology. Solid-state batteries – which use a solid electrolyte to conduct ions between electrodes – are widely seen as a superior alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries that rely on liquid or gel-based materials. Analysts say the technology promises higher energy density, improved safety... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349348/safer-longer-range-evs-sight-china-accelerates-solid-state-battery-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349348/safer-longer-range-evs-sight-china-accelerates-solid-state-battery-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao China is ramping up efforts in the AI race, as tech giants Alibaba Group Holding and Huawei Technologies deploy massive computing clusters in the push to develop home-grown infrastructure. E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the deployment of a 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster powered by the Zhenwu AI chips developed by its T-Head semiconductor design arm. Launched in collaboration with China Telecom in the Shaoguan data centre in Guangdong province, the “fully domestic” cluster was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:30:08 +0000