https://www.scmp.com/rss/318751/feed News about the global industrials sector with a focus on developments in the heavy industries of mainland China. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Themis Qi Themis Qi The chairmen of China’s battery and solar giants have called for more top-down regulations to rein in cutthroat competition, warning that unchecked overcapacity is squeezing profits and threatening the industry’s stability. Despite tailwinds including the Middle East conflict that could increase demand for renewable products, overcapacity remains a major challenge for industry players. Zhang Tianren, chairman of Tianneng Holding Group – ranked second behind Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd... https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3349627/chinas-battery-solar-bosses-urge-top-down-rules-overcapacity-clouds-industry-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3349627/chinas-battery-solar-bosses-urge-top-down-rules-overcapacity-clouds-industry-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:15 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China could potentially face shortages of methanol – a vital input for several industries – if the Iran war drags on and causes lengthy disruptions to shipping traffic along the Strait of Hormuz, analysts said. Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is a chemical compound that is widely used by Chinese producers. It is both a biofuel and a key raw material for a range of products – from paint and formaldehyde to plastics and synthetic fabrics. The growing conflict in the Middle East could be a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345276/iran-war-could-significantly-disrupt-chinas-methanol-imports-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345276/iran-war-could-significantly-disrupt-chinas-methanol-imports-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China will accelerate investment in alternative nickel supply sources and strengthen its role across the metal’s wider supply chain, analysts said, after the United States finalised a deal with Indonesia on Thursday that will give America unrestricted access to the country’s industrial commodities. While the US Supreme Court’s tariff ruling last week could add some uncertainty to US-Indonesia trade, the agreement has the potential to reshape the global supply chain for nickel – a metal used to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China secured the most new shipbuilding orders globally in 2025 despite a slight dip in market share, showing enduring market dominance amid industry turbulence sparked by US threats targeting the Chinese maritime sector, official data showed. Chinese shipyards secured 107.8 million deadweight tonnage (DWT) in new orders in 2025 – a 4.6 per cent year-on-year decline – accounting for 69 per cent of the global market, down from a 74.1 per cent share in 2024, according to data released on Sunday by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342091/china-navigates-us-threats-anchor-global-shipbuilding-dominance-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342091/china-navigates-us-threats-anchor-global-shipbuilding-dominance-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China’s leading battery makers for electric cars – Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and Gotion High-tech – are adding momentum to the country’s efforts to build new-energy vessels, with their latest products supplied to large ocean carriers amid an accelerated decarbonisation drive. Chinese-made pure electric-powered container vessels were also set to extend Beijing’s lead over global rivals in shipbuilding, according to industry officials and analysts. CATL, the world’s largest electric... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336169/chinas-ev-battery-giants-wade-shipbuilding-bolster-beijings-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3336169/chinas-ev-battery-giants-wade-shipbuilding-bolster-beijings-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:00:16 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese shipyards, facing a drop in orders, plan to divert more capacity towards new-energy and advanced vessels to maintain profitability as they face mounting challenges from South Korean counterparts, industry officials say. The country’s shipbuilding firms, from gargantuan state-owned China State Ship­building Corp (CSSC) to privately owned shipyards, held 65 per cent of global orders in deadweight tonnage terms during the first three quarters of 2025, compared with about 75 per cent a year... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335104/chinese-shipyards-shift-focus-advanced-vessels-south-korean-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3335104/chinese-shipyards-shift-focus-advanced-vessels-south-korean-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren China State Ship­building Corp (CSSC), the world’s largest shipbuilding conglomerate controlling one-third of the global market, has pledged to build more cruise ships, deep-ocean drilling ships and nuclear-powered vessels as part of efforts to diversify its portfolio, according to a senior executive. Assistant president Ma Yunxiang said on Monday the company’s growing strength in building advanced vessels was reflected in the construction of Adora Flora City, mainland China’s second self-built... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334790/chinas-giant-shipbuilder-cssc-unveils-plans-cruise-deep-sea-nuclear-powered-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334790/chinas-giant-shipbuilder-cssc-unveils-plans-cruise-deep-sea-nuclear-powered-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s industrial profits dropped in October after a strong September, according to official year-on-year data released on Thursday, and analysts are pointing to domestic competition and trade tensions weighing on corporate balance sheets. Profits fell 5.5 per cent from a year ago, reversing a 21.6 per cent surge in September and a 20.4 per cent jump in August, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. For the January-October period, profits earned by Chinese companies of a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3334339/chinas-industrial-profits-slump-october-price-war-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3334339/chinas-industrial-profits-slump-october-price-war-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 07:43:15 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Recent moves by the United States – including President Donald Trump’s meeting with leaders of resource-rich Central Asian countries and the expansion of a US government critical minerals list – signal an urgency in Washington to reduce its reliance on rare earths from China before tensions with Beijing flare up again, analysts said. Despite China’s Ministry of Commerce on Sunday suspending export controls on “dual-use items” related to several key minerals for a year as part of the US-China... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332221/us-stepping-global-rare-earths-hunt-despite-china-trade-agreement-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332221/us-stepping-global-rare-earths-hunt-despite-china-trade-agreement-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s manufacturing activity remained in contraction for a seventh consecutive month in October, official data shows, as the world’s second-largest economy continues to battle persistent external headwinds and soft domestic demand. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 49 in October, down from 49.8 the previous month, according to data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics. The reading fell short of the 50 projected by economists polled by financial data... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330993/chinas-factory-activity-contracts-7th-month-amid-trade-war-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330993/chinas-factory-activity-contracts-7th-month-amid-trade-war-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 02:59:36 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng One of China’s largest producers of rare earth elements has pledged to “strictly enforce government guidance” on export controls, a show of support from a major industry player as US officials harshly criticise Beijing’s recent expansion of licensing requirements for the crucial minerals. The statement from China Rare Earth Group – a conglomerate of state metals firms formed in 2021 – serves as a reaffirmation of Beijing’s resolve in consolidating its oversight of the rare earths trade, despite... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330227/state-rare-earth-giant-throws-support-behind-chinas-broad-export-controls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3330227/state-rare-earth-giant-throws-support-behind-chinas-broad-export-controls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 13:00:08 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China has rolled out a new steel industry action plan that includes a basket of measures to deal with the chronic oversupply problems plaguing the sector, as Beijing steps up efforts to end a string of price wars raging across the economy. The plan, which includes a strict ban on additional capacity and moves to accelerate the phase-out of outdated equipment, could become a blueprint for other industries suffering from overproduction and excessive competition, analysts said. Released by the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326389/china-steps-fight-against-vicious-price-wars-new-steel-industry-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326389/china-steps-fight-against-vicious-price-wars-new-steel-industry-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:00:52 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi China’s economy showed signs of strain in August, as sluggish domestic demand, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn continued to weigh on several major indicators. Retail sales, a major gauge of consumption, rose by 3.4 per cent in August from a year earlier, missing the 3.82 per cent forecast in a poll by financial data provider Wind and down from July’s 3.7 per cent growth, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday. Fu Linghui, spokesperson... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325524/chinas-economy-under-strain-august-retail-sales-industrial-output-miss-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3325524/chinas-economy-under-strain-august-retail-sales-industrial-output-miss-forecasts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 01:59:44 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo It has been a tumultuous couple of months for Alex Xu’s company – a solar panel manufacturer based in eastern China’s Zhejiang province – as product prices have surged by about 20 per cent. Long plagued by severe oversupply, China’s photovoltaic industry is grappling with cutthroat price wars and even loss-making sales. From Xu’s perspective, nearly half of the industry’s capacity is excessive. But a rebound in prices has followed recent calls from Chinese authorities to combat “involution”, or... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322605/chinas-crippling-price-wars-old-laws-revision-seeks-sustainable-equilibrium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322605/chinas-crippling-price-wars-old-laws-revision-seeks-sustainable-equilibrium?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:00:12 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng China has released a breakdown of the subsidy settlements for new-energy vehicle (NEV) companies from 2016 to 2020, along with the allocation plan for 2021 to 2022, and the data helps illustrate how the industry landscape shifted during those years. According to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) earlier this month, over the seven years from 2016 to 2022, subsidies gradually moved from traditional state-owned enterprises to leading carmakers and emerging... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322666/china-reveals-past-ev-subsidies-tesla-state-giants-where-did-money-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322666/china-reveals-past-ev-subsidies-tesla-state-giants-where-did-money-go?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:30:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi Xinyi Wu,Ji Siqi After six months of steady improvement, China’s economy showed signs of strain in July, with several headline indicators losing momentum amid a weakening of domestic consumption, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn. Retail sales, a major gauge of consumption, rose by 3.7 per cent year on year in July, a drop in pace compared with the 4.8 per cent growth rate recorded in June, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3321925/chinas-economy-shows-signs-strain-retail-sales-industrial-output-lose-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3321925/chinas-economy-shows-signs-strain-retail-sales-industrial-output-lose-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 02:00:06 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Hopes for a long-awaited recovery of factory activity in Europe’s manufacturing powerhouse were uplifted this week as a key indicator of the sector’s health surged to a 34-month high in Germany. But the fact that the country’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index for June still remained at 49.0 – when a reading below 50 suggests a contraction in the sector – underscores the uphill challenge that Germany is facing in trying to regain growth and past glory in its manufacturing activities. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3316955/china-eu-eye-warmer-ties-brussels-seeks-protect-its-crown-jewel-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3316955/china-eu-eye-warmer-ties-brussels-seeks-protect-its-crown-jewel-manufacturing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:00:57 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s industrial profits fell by more than 9 per cent in May over the same month of 2024, according to data released on Friday, reflecting what analysts said was weak domestic demand for minerals and motor vehicles, coupled with ramifications of the US-China tariff dispute. The National Bureau of Statistics said profits for industrial companies making more than 20 million yuan a year in revenue dropped in May by 9.1 per cent, year on year. Industrial profits fell 9.7 per cent in May over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3316125/china-industrial-profits-sink-9-may-weak-demand-us-trade-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3316125/china-industrial-profits-sink-9-may-weak-demand-us-trade-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:51:45 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley China has powered ahead of other nations in terms of industrial and export development, to the point where it is now seen by rivals (not least the US) as a threat that must be countered by trade protectionism. But most analyses of its success overlook the key role played by China’s financial system. The mirror image of that success is the failure by many Western economies to nurture savings collections and investment systems that are well attuned to promoting balanced economic growth. Fund... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3313234/how-chinas-overlooked-financial-system-enabled-its-industrial-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3313234/how-chinas-overlooked-financial-system-enabled-its-industrial-success?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Leopold Chen Sylvia Ma,Leopold Chen Chinese firms tend to invest more efficiently when facing higher duties or import restrictions, according to a study that highlights an unexpected benefit of tariffs by analysing data from before the two trade wars with the United States. Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Corporate Finance, the paper examined more than 2,700 listed firms in China, their financial and accounting data from 2003 to 2016, and the trade barriers imposed on the country during this period. The paper was... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3312717/chinas-firms-invest-more-efficiently-when-facing-trade-shocks-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3312717/chinas-firms-invest-more-efficiently-when-facing-trade-shocks-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 07:00:17 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang In Inner Mongolia, a convoy of haul trucks rumbles across the dusty, jagged terrain of the Yimin open-pit coal mine. It is a familiar scene in this part of northern China, home to some of the country’s biggest mineral deposits, but a closer look reveals a futuristic twist to this age-old trade: the vehicles operate without drivers. Yimin is one of the five largest open-cast coal mines in China. During peak season, it used to require about 300 trucks, operated by around 1,200 drivers working... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3312442/future-mining-how-china-upgrading-traditional-industry-driverless-evs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3312442/future-mining-how-china-upgrading-traditional-industry-driverless-evs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 03:00:13 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen China’s large industrial enterprises posted modest but accelerating growth in April, despite an unprecedented trade war with the United States that drove up tariffs on both sides and intensified economic uncertainty. Industrial profits among larger firms, with an annual income of 20 million yuan ($US2.78 million) or above generated from their main businesses, recorded a 3 per cent year-on-year increase last month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Tuesday, up from 2.6 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3311925/chinas-industrial-profits-grow-april-despite-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3311925/chinas-industrial-profits-grow-april-despite-us-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Yao Yang is a Chinese economist, professor and former dean of the National School of Development at Peking University. He is known for making bold comments and offering advice on China’s economic development and institutional economics. In this interview, he unravels the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies and delves into overcapacity, technological innovation and China’s other economic quandaries. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3309715/unswerving-superpowers-meet-unsustainable-tariffs-yao-yang-breaks-down-paradox?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3309715/unswerving-superpowers-meet-unsustainable-tariffs-yao-yang-breaks-down-paradox?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Yujie Xue Yujie Xue Sany Heavy Industry, one of China’s largest heavy equipment manufacturers, plans to use the sum of up to US$1.5 billion that it could raise in a proposed Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) to support global expansion, despite ongoing trade tensions between China and the US, according to an executive. The Shanghai-listed company will use the capital to expand its sales and service networks outside China, Jiang Qingbin, vice-president of parent company Sany Group told the Post on Friday. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3309810/heavy-equipment-maker-sany-eyes-doubling-overseas-revenue-after-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3309810/heavy-equipment-maker-sany-eyes-doubling-overseas-revenue-after-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Stanley Chao Stanley Chao On April 2, US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on virtually every country, friends and foes alike. The purported goal was to revitalise domestic manufacturing and create millions of high-paying American jobs. In the Rose Garden, Trump dubbed it “Liberation Day”, to “forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn”. Nearly a month later, it appears Trump’s words have no more staying power than his Liberation Day tariffs, most of which he later postponed. The real... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3308505/trump-cannot-look-past-make-us-manufacturing-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3308505/trump-cannot-look-past-make-us-manufacturing-great-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s budget proposes to accelerate the construction of the Northern Metropolis. Some people have suggested a Northern Metropolis development authority be established, arguing that high-level leadership could speed things up. But how exactly would such an authority expedite development? What considerations are involved? More importantly, how would it attract investment and address funding shortages in an era of geopolitical tensions and economic downturns? In recent years, the government... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305132/why-decision-northern-metropolis-authority-cant-be-rushed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305132/why-decision-northern-metropolis-authority-cant-be-rushed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Apr 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Some 10 years ago, rocket scientists and weapon engineers in China’s defence industry management were among President Xi Jinping’s most favoured talent pools, as he sought brainpower untainted by local factional corruption to support his ambitious technology drive. Of the 24 men currently on the Politburo, the Communist Party’s decision-making body, three spent decades in the aerospace and defence industries and now oversee key regional economies or sectors on a national level. As Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3303282/how-did-top-brains-behind-chinas-advanced-weapons-become-targets-its-anti-graft-push?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 22:00:15 +0000 This is the final story in a three-part series examining the future of China’s humanoid robots; competition between the US and China; and Beijing’s efforts to gain an advantage in this emerging arena. In this piece, we look at how local and national government policies and innovation centres are fuelling dreams of global technological supremacy. When 102 humanoid robots from 10 different companies converged last month at a sprawling 4,000-square-metre facility on the outskirts of Shanghai,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3297482/how-chinas-government-supercharging-rise-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3297482/how-chinas-government-supercharging-rise-humanoid-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:00:13 +0000 US President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to drive an “America first” agenda that is poised to harness the untapped potential of deep-sea minerals to strengthen US critical mineral supply chains and cut dependence on China. Deep-sea mining is becoming a key battleground in the race to secure access to cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper, minerals abundant in the ocean floor and vital to infrastructure, defence and energy systems. To counter China’s dominance in mineral refining,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295702/how-us-can-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3295702/how-us-can-challenge-chinas-dominance-over-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Chinese automakers should consider localising production in Russia – now the largest importer of Chinese cars – to capitalise on cost savings, a Russian industry organisation has urged. Importing cars into Russia through container shipments by rail is becoming increasingly expensive due to rising customs duties and other fees, Vitaly Mankevich, chairman of the Russia-Asia Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, told Sputnik News during the Eastern Economic Forum earlier this month. “This is a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3279649/make-chinese-cars-russia-industry-group-urges-manufacturers-import-costs-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3279649/make-chinese-cars-russia-industry-group-urges-manufacturers-import-costs-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:00:07 +0000 More than a dozen Chinese universities are overhauling their engineering and technology majors in favour of hi-tech areas such as AI and big data to answer a government call for more talent. By July 31, a total of 19 universities had suspended or completely removed 99 majors, news portal The Paper reported on Thursday, citing its own tally. For example, Sichuan University was considering removing 31 majors, including animation, acting and applied physics, and setting up a new major in biomass... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275503/universities-china-change-course-meet-governments-need-hi-tech-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275503/universities-china-change-course-meet-governments-need-hi-tech-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2024 02:00:21 +0000 The 50th anniversary of Sino-Malaysian relations is being celebrated with much fanfare. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is committed to strengthening ties with China, which he considers “vital”. For 15 years, China has been Malaysia’s most important trade partner, and bilateral trade last year topped US$98 billion. Post-Covid, Malaysia’s planners see Chinese investments as key to spurring the economy. China has committed to investing 170 billion ringgit (US$36.3 billion) in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3270817/chinese-investment-wont-cure-cancer-plaguing-malaysias-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3270817/chinese-investment-wont-cure-cancer-plaguing-malaysias-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:00:10 +0000 After the global financial crisis, practically everyone seemed convinced that China’s economy would surpass America’s by 2030. Today, China faces crises that could spell doom for its economic “miracle”. To get back on track – and strengthen its strategic position – China has lately sought to position advanced industries, rather than real estate, as the economy’s main growth engine. How the United States responds will help determine the outcome of the two countries’ strategic competition – and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3270984/us-needs-techno-industrial-plan-beat-chinas-factories-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3270984/us-needs-techno-industrial-plan-beat-chinas-factories-future?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:45:08 +0000 Amid China’s ongoing economic struggles, unemployment remains a headache for Beijing. In this eight-part series, we examine the range of unemployment issues facing the world’s second-largest economy, from young people and the inevitable “curse of 35”, to gig workers and political implications. Read the previous story here. Broad lay-offs across major Chinese sectors illustrate how the nation’s economic slowdown is taking a toll on its workforce – with key industry players almost universally... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3269641/lay-offs-chinas-top-firms-key-industries-show-unemployment-biting-through-economic-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3269641/lay-offs-chinas-top-firms-key-industries-show-unemployment-biting-through-economic-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 22:00:14 +0000 As China’s new-energy sector faces mounting trade barriers in the global market, officials in the country have pledged to optimise its massive capacity while continuing to refute the industrial-overcapacity concerns that have been voiced by Western politicians and Beijing itself. “Whether from the perspective of a comparative advantage or global market demand, I don’t think there is an overcapacity problem that everyone is concerned about,” said Wang Shijiang, deputy director of the Electronic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266475/china-vows-new-energy-regulations-optimise-industry-while-still-refuting-overcapacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266475/china-vows-new-energy-regulations-optimise-industry-while-still-refuting-overcapacity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:32:33 +0000 Fresh sparks are flying as risks associated with an overcapacity overflow in China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry have turned up the heat between Beijing and the West, intensifying frictions and hearkening back to ghosts of trade past. With demand unleashed amid Beijing’s policy blessings to rev up the green transition over the past several years, the EV and other green industries saw a steady build-up of capacity – widely viewed as the tip of China’s hi-tech-manufacturing iceberg. Back in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262505/how-chinas-ev-overcapacity-has-come-head-after-15-years-and-whats-store-industrial-policy-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262505/how-chinas-ev-overcapacity-has-come-head-after-15-years-and-whats-store-industrial-policy-race-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 22:00:34 +0000 China’s steel sector could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by over a tenth from current levels by next year if the country gets more ambitious about adopting cleaner production technology, according to US think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM). The emissions reduction – roughly the same as taking 47 million petrol-powered passenger vehicles off the road – would be possible if Beijing were to set a more ambitious target for the use of electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and accelerate its shift away... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3255870/chinas-steel-sector-could-cut-carbon-emissions-more-10-next-year-faster-shift-clean-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3255870/chinas-steel-sector-could-cut-carbon-emissions-more-10-next-year-faster-shift-clean-production?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 02:00:30 +0000 In China’s annual parliamentary meetings, developing “new quality productive forces” topped the agenda. A twist on Marxist theorisation, new quality productive forces simply mean new drivers of economic – and defence – growth, powered by frontier technologies. Such new forces can span from infotech, biotech, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, new energy and new materials, to deep space, deep ocean and deep mind. The strategy appears to have three objectives: foreign technology... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3255248/why-chinas-plan-new-productive-forces-should-make-west-sit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/asia/article/3255248/why-chinas-plan-new-productive-forces-should-make-west-sit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:30:10 +0000 In the race to solidify its standing as a global leader in shipbuilding and leave South Korean rivals in its wake, China’s leadership is being apprised of the need to accelerate the nation’s indigenous development of engines and other critical components. Although China continues to maintain an overall edge in the world’s shipbuilding market, a lack of self-sufficiency in terms of design and manufacturing is significantly curtailing its shipbuilding prowess, according to Fu Guotao, chief... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3254543/china-leave-s-korean-shipbuilding-rivals-its-wake-leaders-told-be-stern-shipbuilding-efforts-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3254543/china-leave-s-korean-shipbuilding-rivals-its-wake-leaders-told-be-stern-shipbuilding-efforts-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 02:00:33 +0000 Premier Li Qiang could further promote the significance of the private sector during his maiden government work report in March, analysts said after China’s No 2 official stepped up preparations for the highly anticipated address by urging steely confidence, as well as a clear-eyed understanding of the risks and complexities that lie ahead. Li is set to address the annual legislative session of the National People’s Congress in early March, and he will review the government’s accomplishments... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3249957/chinese-premier-li-qiang-steps-prep-maiden-work-report-could-seek-restore-private-sector-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3249957/chinese-premier-li-qiang-steps-prep-maiden-work-report-could-seek-restore-private-sector-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:00:24 +0000 The CES 2024 consumer electronics show in Las Vegas last week mesmerised tech observers from around the world with more than 4,000 exhibitors, from start-ups to tech giants. Over 1,000 companies were from China, demonstrating the country’s impressive contributions to global technology. In particular spotlight was China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, after China was recently crowned the world’s largest car exporter, accounting for about half of global EV sales. At the tech showcase, Xpeng... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248760/how-china-making-its-dream-flying-cars-drones-and-sky-cities-come-true?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248760/how-china-making-its-dream-flying-cars-drones-and-sky-cities-come-true?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:30:10 +0000 In the year since in-person trade fairs and expos resumed in China following its lifting of pandemic restrictions, exhibition halls across the country have been packed full of chatty sales managers from the new-energy supply chain. From electric car batteries to solar panels, they peddle their wares to foreign businessmen and bigger industrial peers, handing out business cards and rattling off sales pitches. However, the deluge of interest in the industry is having a negative knock-on effect of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3244959/chinas-involuted-new-energy-industry-awash-overcapacity-could-stall-new-economic-driver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3244959/chinas-involuted-new-energy-industry-awash-overcapacity-could-stall-new-economic-driver?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:23 +0000 In textile factories across eastern China’s Yangtze River Delta, a remarkable change has taken place. To the casual listener, shop floors once crowded with workers have become wholly alien environments. The formerly syncopated rhythms of human activity are now rigid, precise, almost machine-like – because that’s exactly what they are. This traditionally labour-intensive sector has joined several others in making the transition to robotic production, replacing employees with highly specialised... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3239684/china-steels-itself-labour-shortfalls-demographic-decline-industrial-robots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3239684/china-steels-itself-labour-shortfalls-demographic-decline-industrial-robots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:00:21 +0000 On an expressway leading to the headquarters of China’s biggest maker of industrial robots, 23 huge block Chinese characters – each quite literally larger than life at over six feet tall – are a recurrent reminder to passers-by. “It is necessary to promote self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, seizing every moment to make breakthroughs in ‘strangling’ problems,” reads the signage in bright red, mounted on scaffolding along the roadside in Shenyang, Liaoning province – the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3238662/how-us-curbs-china-may-revive-its-rust-belt-former-industrial-powerhouse-near-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3238662/how-us-curbs-china-may-revive-its-rust-belt-former-industrial-powerhouse-near-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 02:00:14 +0000 The buildings and construction sector – “the most polluting and toughest to decarbonise” industry – must build and consume less, shift to ethical and sustainable bio-based building materials, and decarbonise conventional materials that cannot be replaced, to cut emissions, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture. The industry was responsible for 37 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2021, and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3234424/china-can-demonstrate-ethical-decarbonisation-construction-sector-which-requires-massive-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3234424/china-can-demonstrate-ethical-decarbonisation-construction-sector-which-requires-massive-emissions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:00:12 +0000 America’s latest curbs on US hi-tech investments in Chinese companies, in the name of national security, are really a part of a continuing techno-nationalist strategy to contain and halt China’s rapid rise to the upper echelons of technologically advanced nations. On August 9, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order banning new US investment in Chinese companies in the key areas of advanced semiconductor chips, quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI), which could potentially... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231165/china-its-sights-us-techno-nationalism-will-only-burn-brighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231165/china-its-sights-us-techno-nationalism-will-only-burn-brighter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:00:22 +0000 After bouncing between multiple jobs – from furniture sales to e-commerce – for a decade, Rachel He decided to go home in 2021 and take over a 30-year-old factory founded by her father. The major reason for her return was that her parents are in their sixties, and their waning health no longer allowed them to fully commit to the daily operation of a factory with around 50 workers. “I’m their only child. If I don’t go back, is the factory really going to be shut down?” said the 34-year-old. “Then... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3230287/can-chinas-second-gen-factory-owners-give-made-china-second-chance-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3230287/can-chinas-second-gen-factory-owners-give-made-china-second-chance-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 22:00:18 +0000 Sandeep Singh, the managing director of Tata Hitachi, called in June for a level playing field in the Indian construction equipment market. Tata Hitachi – a joint venture between Tata, one of India’s biggest multinational conglomerates, and Japan’s Hitachi – manufactures and sells excavators, loaders and other construction equipment. Singh spoke of “unheard of” undercutting by Chinese players that was eating into the margins of domestic construction equipment brands, on the back of which he said... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227704/protectionism-not-answer-indian-manufacturing-sector-need-support-and-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227704/protectionism-not-answer-indian-manufacturing-sector-need-support-and-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:15:17 +0000 As China steps up efforts to take more market share in the global shipbuilding industry, some Western countries are poised to pull back to avoid overreliance on Chinese manufacturing at a time of politically charged de-risking. The China State Shipbuilding Corporation became the biggest shipbuilder in the world after a merger in 2019, and the government-run Xinhua News Agency said last week that the builder had seen a “boom of overseas orders” this year, with production plans scheduled into... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3225973/china-becoming-worlds-go-shipbuilding-after-boom-overseas-orders-global-de-risking-threatens-rock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3225973/china-becoming-worlds-go-shipbuilding-after-boom-overseas-orders-global-de-risking-threatens-rock?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:30:14 +0000 The rapid expansion and innovation of China’s electric vehicle industry has made EVs more affordable for the world. As more EVs become cheaper than cars that use internal combustion engines (ICEs), the climate-friendly choice is also becoming an economical one. Yet the Global North is likely to erect barriers in the name of national security. The Global South, however, will welcome Chinese EVs to ease its dependence on imported oil – also a matter of national security – lower transport costs and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219585/chinas-lead-electric-vehicles-unassailable-global-north-simply-cant-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219585/chinas-lead-electric-vehicles-unassailable-global-north-simply-cant-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 May 2023 14:00:10 +0000