https://www.scmp.com/rss/328480/feed News on economic indicators, including forecasts, business cycles and data charts. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s retail sales growth surprisingly slowed to the lowest in more than three years as higher energy costs, lower stimulus measures and rising inflation compounded weak domestic demand. Consumer spending rose by 0.2 per cent from a year earlier in April, down from 1.7 per cent growth in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday. Economists had predicted a 2 per cent increase, based on a poll by Chinese financial data provider Wind. April industrial output also only rose 4.1 per... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353969/chinas-unexpected-retail-slowdown-shows-hormuz-strains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353969/chinas-unexpected-retail-slowdown-shows-hormuz-strains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:07:31 +0000 He Huifeng,Xinyi Wu He Huifeng,Xinyi Wu The Chinese economy showed signs of slowing in April, as industrial output, retail sales and fixed-asset investment all missed expectations amid a deepening global energy crisis, the latest data shows. Retail sales rose by just 0.2 per cent year on year in April, well below the 1.7 per cent growth recorded in March, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released on Monday. Economists polled by the Yicai Research Institute had forecast a 2 per cent increase. China’s industrial... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353914/chinas-economy-shows-signs-strain-april-iran-war-headwinds-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353914/chinas-economy-shows-signs-strain-april-iran-war-headwinds-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 02:06:12 +0000 Jeffrey D. Sachs Jeffrey D. Sachs The G7 economists’ memo from March and the IMF’s April report on global imbalances arrived at the same prescription: China’s current account surplus is excessive and should be cut by boosting consumption. The diagnosis is wrong. The world economy, especially emerging markets and developing economies, benefits from China’s high saving. A current account surplus is the excess of national saving over domestic investment. The saving is not lost; it is exported abroad in the form of net capital... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353281/why-world-needs-china-save-more-not-less?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353281/why-world-needs-china-save-more-not-less?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, which almost doubled the size of the United States’ territory, US president Thomas Jefferson commissioned the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, which surveyed new routes from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. It also carried out work in agriculture, ethnography (with indigenous peoples) and geography. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was the kind of science the US government was willing to pay for – practical,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353088/us-scientific-self-harm-will-only-help-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s first-quarter marriage registrations fell to their lowest level for the same period since 2020, as the country continued to grapple with persistent demographic challenges amid a declining birth rate and a shrinking population. In the first three months of this year, 1.697 million couples in China tied the knot, down 6.24 per cent from the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Saturday. The figure marked the lowest first-quarter total since... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353108/chinas-marriage-numbers-plunge-covid-era-low-population-woes-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353108/chinas-marriage-numbers-plunge-covid-era-low-population-woes-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 06:01:39 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng A major benchmark of China’s factory-gate prices continued to rise last month, as the energy shock linked to the US-Israel war on Iran weighs on producers in the world’s second-largest economy. After returning to growth for the first time in more than three years the month before, the producer price index (PPI) recorded a higher-than-expected year-on-year increase of 2.8 per cent in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This followed March’s 0.5 per cent year-on-year... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353089/chinas-producer-consumer-inflation-april-iran-war-pressures-persist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3353089/chinas-producer-consumer-inflation-april-iran-war-pressures-persist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 03:54:15 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s export sector showed strong resilience last month, with the total value of outbound shipments hitting a monthly record even as the Strait of Hormuz crisis during the US-Israeli war in Iran showed little sign of abating after driving up energy and shipping costs. The value of China’s exports rose in April by 14.1 per cent, year on year, to US$359.44 billion, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Saturday. The reading was above the 6.96 per cent growth... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3352970/china-trade-growth-resilient-april-despite-hormuz-crisis-inflating-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:52:59 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong As the US-Israel war in Iran drags into its third month, sulphuric acid – a chemical ingredient critical for fertiliser production and metal processing that has seldom grabbed global headlines – has become a keenly watched commodity. The military conflict in the Gulf and the effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz initially triggered a squeeze on sulphuric acid, with prices on the rise after shipments in the region – which accounts for a quarter of global production – were largely stalled... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang As the US-Israel war on Iran raises global concerns about energy security, a new report has found that the clean power sector is rapidly gaining ground and emerging as a solution for nations looking to reduce their reliance on oil and gas imports. The world passed a significant turning point in 2025 as clean power generation rose faster than global demand for electricity, preventing an increase in fossil fuel generation, according to the study by London-based energy think tank Ember released on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350759/turning-point-clean-energy-met-100-worlds-new-power-needs-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350759/turning-point-clean-energy-met-100-worlds-new-power-needs-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:01:07 +0000 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 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 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 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Can the collective wisdom or clout of the almost 200 countries that make up the membership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) prevail against the United States and Israel, whose rash actions of declaring war on Iran have effectively declared economic war on the whole world? We may get the answers to this critical question when the two so-called Bretton Woods institutions begin their annual meetings in Washington on April 13. The week-long gatherings provide an opportunity... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349524/can-world-bank-and-imf-leaders-rescue-global-economy-brink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349524/can-world-bank-and-imf-leaders-rescue-global-economy-brink?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:30:08 +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 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 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +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 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Last week, the energy shock caused by the war in Iran showed signs of becoming a full-blown financial and economic crisis. The attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East, coupled with soaring prices of crucial refined petroleum products such as diesel and jet fuel, forced investors to start pricing in a prolonged disruption to supply and a contraction in demand. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens sooner than anticipated, the scale of the damage to energy assets in the Persian Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s urban youth unemployment rate fell in February for the sixth consecutive month, though the marginal improvement provides little reprieve for jobseekers in a challenging post-holiday labour market. The jobless rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, edged down to 16.1 per cent in February from 16.3 per cent in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The figure has been gradually declining since August, when a record 12.2 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:57:31 +0000 Carol Yang,Xinyi Wu Carol Yang,Xinyi Wu China’s economy got off to a strong start in 2026, as several indicators registered expectation-beating expansions in the first two months – though analysts cautioned the imminent energy crisis caused by the US-Israel war in Iran would present challenges for Beijing and the world at large in the months to come. Resilience in industrial output and retail sales, as well as a small expansion in fixed-asset investment, will provide a vital boost to Beijing as it strives to achieve an economic growth... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346697/chinas-economy-starts-2026-strongly-retail-sales-investment-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346697/chinas-economy-starts-2026-strongly-retail-sales-investment-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s export growth surged in the first two months of this year, as global demand booms, while experts pointed to the likelihood of strong momentum for the rest of the year as AI-driven tech investments ramp up. Exports jumped 21.8 per cent from a year earlier – the biggest gain in four years – to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by customs authorities on Tuesday. This represented a significant acceleration from the 6.6 per cent growth recorded in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346036/chinas-exports-surge-218-first-2-months-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346036/chinas-exports-surge-218-first-2-months-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:11:18 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s consumer prices rose during the first two months of the year as a longer-than-usual Chinese New Year holiday drove a surge in spending, though analysts cautioned that Beijing might need to implement stronger measures to boost demand to sustain the recovery. The national consumer price index (CPI), a crucial gauge of inflation, rose by 0.8 per cent year on year during the January-February period, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. Readings for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345926/chinas-consumer-prices-keep-rising-after-holiday-spending-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345926/chinas-consumer-prices-keep-rising-after-holiday-spending-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:08:13 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley If financial markets can survive the United States’ war on Iran and Russia’s war against Ukraine, does this mean that financial crashes have become a thing of the past? Or have markets just not grasped the true nature of the current threats to the financial system? The latter is almost certainly the case, as former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein suggested when he said in a recent Financial Times interview that people had “got more complacent” about financial risks since the 2008 crisis. It is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345580/cause-next-global-market-crash-hiding-plain-sight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345580/cause-next-global-market-crash-hiding-plain-sight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Zhang Shidong,Ji Siqi Zhang Shidong,Ji Siqi China’s high-level policymakers have reiterated the need to defuse financial risks and root out political corruption, two of President Xi Jinping’s long-term priorities, in the run-up to this year’s ‘two sessions’ – the annual meetings of the country’s top legislature and political advisory body. In this series, we take stock of how those efforts have progressed, and what remains to be done. When the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50,000 points for the first time in early February, US... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345708/chinas-vision-powerhouse-stock-market-its-slow-and-steady-over-boom-and-bust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345708/chinas-vision-powerhouse-stock-market-its-slow-and-steady-over-boom-and-bust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Sylvia Ma Xinyi Wu,Sylvia Ma Achieving this year’s inflation target would be one of China’s top economic tasks, a prominent economist and government adviser said, as it was pivotal to accomplishing other government priorities such as boosting consumption, raising incomes and achieving the required headline growth figures. “The inflation target corresponds to a state of relative equilibrium between supply and demand,” Zhang Bin, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345690/hitting-inflation-target-key-chinas-other-economic-goals-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345690/hitting-inflation-target-key-chinas-other-economic-goals-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 07:00:16 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This live blog is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account below. For full coverage of the 15th five-year plan, including policy and economic shifts plus Trump’s visit, subscribe with our China Super March offer now. China’s top economic officials held a press conference on Friday as part of the “two sessions”, the country’s annual policymaking meetings. The leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission – Beijing’s top economic planner – the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345694/two-sessions-2026-china-lays-out-its-economic-agenda-press-conference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345694/two-sessions-2026-china-lays-out-its-economic-agenda-press-conference?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:55:23 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang As the United States grapples with mounting debt, China is doubling down on efforts to clean up its own balance sheet, vowing to tackle risks with “iron discipline”. The pledge came as the world’s second-largest economy weathers a years-long real estate slump and cooling domestic demand. Beijing faces growing pressure to balance short-term growth targets with longer-term deleveraging, as it seeks to transition to a more sustainable economy. In the government work report delivered on Thursday to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345587/china-pledges-iron-discipline-tackle-debt-risks-us-borrowing-under-trump-surges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345587/china-pledges-iron-discipline-tackle-debt-risks-us-borrowing-under-trump-surges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei As China’s leaders convene for the annual “two sessions” starting this week, the eyes of the world will be fixed on Beijing. This gathering is no ordinary policy meeting. Beyond setting the economic growth target for 2026, it will finalise the 15th five-year plan (2026–2030), a blueprint that will define the nation’s economic and social priorities for the second half of this decade. In an era of intensifying great-power competition, particularly with the United States, these decisions will shape... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344883/now-time-china-show-its-serious-about-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344883/now-time-china-show-its-serious-about-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Kenny Shui,Pascal Siu,Katie Ho Kenny Shui,Pascal Siu,Katie Ho Following a challenging cycle, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has delivered a budget returning Hong Kong to the black. After consecutive operating deficits, the operating account has returned to profit. Simultaneously, the consolidated account records a HK$2.9 billion (US$370.6 million) surplus for 2025/26, signalling stability. This turnaround is driven largely by a buoyant stock market and a stabilising property sector, reviving stamp duty revenues and investment income. This provides... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344819/after-celebrating-its-surplus-hong-kong-must-work-sustaining-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344819/after-celebrating-its-surplus-hong-kong-must-work-sustaining-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China logged an overall increase in travel during the just-concluded Chinese New Year break compared with last year’s holiday period, but analysts said spending per capita stayed flat. The country saw 596 million domestic trips over the extended public holiday that ended on Monday, a year-on-year increase of 95 million, Xinhua reported. About 17.8 million cross-border trips were logged over the same period, it added. Chinese New Year is a crucial period for the travel sector as hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344699/china-sees-rise-chinese-new-year-travel-capita-spending-remains-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344699/china-sees-rise-chinese-new-year-travel-capita-spending-remains-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:08:27 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who heads to Beijing this week, had warned last year in relation to China that economic dependencies make Germany “susceptible to blackmail”. As chancellor, he confronts an export model under strain, a deteriorating transatlantic environment and the fiscal reality that moral posturing does not sustain an industrial economy. Merz has never been shy about stating where he stands. As chairman of the non-profit Atlantik-Brucke from 2009 to 2019, he boosted the view... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344239/germanys-outreach-china-signals-reckoning-rather-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344239/germanys-outreach-china-signals-reckoning-rather-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:07:33 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell I would like to explore some rather interesting data buried deep in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Economic and Social Trends 2026 report: an estimated 15.3 per cent of jobs worldwide depended on foreign demand in 2024. In other words, they depend on international trade. The ILO report, based on data from 80 economies that account for 85 per cent of global employment, says this amounts to 465 million jobs. Of these, 278 million are in Asia and the Pacific and 96 million are in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344016/despite-trumps-trade-wars-globalisation-eurasias-win-or-lose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344016/despite-trumps-trade-wars-globalisation-eurasias-win-or-lose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Is rivalry among international financial centres – such as that which has traditionally existed between Hong Kong and Singapore – becoming outdated at a time of changing global dynamics in the economic and political spheres as countries develop their own financial capabilities and rely more on domestic rather than offshore financing? Will the rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) into finance mean countries that do not have dedicated financial centres will not need to rely so heavily on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343420/how-robust-domestic-financial-markets-could-ease-era-ai-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3343420/how-robust-domestic-financial-markets-could-ease-era-ai-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen have warned gold market operators not to use exaggerated slogans such as “get rich by buying gold”, barring them from making inflated promises to retail investors after two trading platforms failed amid sharp price swings in global markets. Ten government departments – including the local financial regulatory bureau and the Shenzhen branch of the People’s Bank of China – issued a notice on Friday to “prevent and defuse market risks, protect... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3343471/china-tightens-gold-trading-rules-shenzhen-after-platforms-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3343471/china-tightens-gold-trading-rules-shenzhen-after-platforms-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:05:11 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Beijing has for the first time revealed the intricate composition of China’s consumer price index (CPI) basket, and a fresh recalibration sees it shift more weight towards services and new types of consumption goods. The basket adjustment itself, conducted every five years, comes as the Chinese leadership seeks to steer the world’s second-largest economy out of deflationary pressure while avoiding a prolonged Japan-style spiralling of prices. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343465/china-overhauls-consumer-price-basket-never-seen-unveiling-its-composition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343465/china-overhauls-consumer-price-basket-never-seen-unveiling-its-composition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s consumer prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in January – although at a slower pace – while the decline in factory-gate prices continued to narrow, in a tentative sign that deflationary pressures in the Chinese economy may be starting to let up. But analysts said a clearer picture of the outlook for inflation would only emerge in the coming months due to distortions caused by the Lunar New Year holiday, which typically brings a surge in demand that drives up prices. The national... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3343143/chinas-consumer-price-growth-cools-inflation-outlook-remains-unclear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3343143/chinas-consumer-price-growth-cools-inflation-outlook-remains-unclear?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 03:54:09 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris US President Donald Trump’s trip to Europe to speak at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss alpine town of Davos was possibly one he wished he had never made; such was its failure to impress. First, his plane had to turn back due to a technical problem. Second, he gave a typically hostile speech, but then he lived up to his nickname “Taco” (Trump always chickens out) over threats to invade Greenland that would have imperilled about a third of global trade. Third, he said disingenuously that if... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342335/how-america-first-many-respects-puts-america-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3342335/how-america-first-many-respects-puts-america-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:30:11 +0000 Kun Tian Kun Tian China did not slip into outright deflation last year and that in itself matters. When weak global demand, geopolitical frictions and a prolonged property correction weighed heavily on sentiment, consumer prices stayed marginally positive. The latest data suggests an economy not in free fall but navigating a transition towards more balanced and sustainable growth, albeit at a subdued pace. December’s inflation figures underline this point. Consumer prices rose by 0.8 per cent year on year, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341556/chinas-deflation-near-miss-isnt-economic-story-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341556/chinas-deflation-near-miss-isnt-economic-story-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s factory activity faltered in January as weak domestic demand dragged down production at the start of the new ‍year, an official survey showed on Saturday. The official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 49.3 in January, from 50.1 in December, below the 50-mark separating growth from contraction. It missed a forecast of 50 in a Reuters poll of analysts. Sub-indexes of new orders and new export orders also saw declines, respectively, down to 49.2 from 50.8 ⁠in December and 47.8... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341925/chinas-factory-activity-contracts-january-weak-domestic-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3341925/chinas-factory-activity-contracts-january-weak-domestic-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 05:07:19 +0000 Mandy Zuo Mandy Zuo The southern Guangdong province has been the largest engine powering China’s economic rise for decades. But the region is now in danger of losing its status as the country’s top regional economy, as a rival to the east outpaces its growth. Jiangsu, home to a wide range of multinationals and hi-tech enterprises, has long been Guangdong’s closest competitor: together, the two provinces account for over 20 per cent of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). And the region has shown greater dynamism... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341835/jiangsu-vs-guangdong-why-battle-be-chinas-no-1-economy-heating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341835/jiangsu-vs-guangdong-why-battle-be-chinas-no-1-economy-heating?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney does not mince his words. Writing for The Economist last November, Carney argued the post-Cold War had collapsed and said the world was “entering an era of ‘variable geometry’” involving “pragmatic coalitions, built around shared interests, and occasionally shared values, rather than shared institutions”. The essay, it turns out, was the prelude to a hard-hitting speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20. Carney told attendees... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341634/what-ruptured-globalisation-means-international-finance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341634/what-ruptured-globalisation-means-international-finance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li As China’s two largest cities by economic output, Beijing and Shanghai are widely seen as barometers for the country’s broader economic performance. In 2025, Beijing’s gross domestic product reached 5.2 trillion yuan (US$748 billion), making it the second Chinese city to cross the 5-trillion-yuan mark after Shanghai, which breached the threshold in 2024 and did so again in 2025 with a GDP of 5.67 trillion yuan. Based on last year’s figures, each city’s economic size is comparable to that of a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341382/tale-two-megacities-how-did-beijing-and-shanghais-gdps-surpass-5-trillion-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341382/tale-two-megacities-how-did-beijing-and-shanghais-gdps-surpass-5-trillion-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:14 +0000 David Tingxuan Zhang David Tingxuan Zhang China’s latest outbound investment numbers look underwhelming at first glance. At the commerce ministry’s recently concluded national conference on outbound investment and foreign aid, officials revealed that outward direct investment grew by just 1.3 per cent in 2025, a sharp slowdown from the double-digit pace seen in 2024 and 2023. On paper, it appeared to confirm a cooling of China’s overseas expansion. That conclusion misses what is actually changing. The more important story is not the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341332/chinas-slowing-overseas-investment-reflects-caution-not-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3341332/chinas-slowing-overseas-investment-reflects-caution-not-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s central bank has strengthened the yuan’s daily fixing rate to break through the psychologically important level of 7 per US dollar for the first time since May 2023, as the American currency weakens amid concerns over recent US attempts to gain control of Greenland. The People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate – also known as the daily fixing rate – at 6.9929 to the US dollar on Friday, after weeks of keeping the benchmark just on the weaker side of the 7 mark. The move came... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340929/china-sets-yuan-strongest-rate-years-greenland-furore-affects-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340929/china-sets-yuan-strongest-rate-years-greenland-furore-affects-us-dollar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:00:48 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters China’s government is likely to set this year’s economic growth target in a range between 4.5 per cent and 5 per cent, according to three sources briefed on the matter. Such a target would indicate a tolerance for a modest deceleration from last year’s 5 per cent gross domestic product growth as Beijing highlights the importance of “high-quality” development and urges local officials to embrace “the right concept of political performance”, the sources said. The range, if confirmed, would serve... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3340889/china-set-gdp-growth-range-providing-policy-flexibility-2026-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3340889/china-set-gdp-growth-range-providing-policy-flexibility-2026-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie China achieved its twin goals of tech advancement and macro stability in 2025. Its goals for 2026 remain the same. However, a rapidly deteriorating global security environment is likely to shift national priorities towards preparation for worst-case scenarios. Oil supplies and sea lanes are becoming insecure. The US-China trade war could reignite at any time. China will have to accelerate its goals of energy and technology self-sufficiency to enhance national resilience. Fighting for sea lane... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340177/why-security-not-growth-likely-command-chinas-attention-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3340177/why-security-not-growth-likely-command-chinas-attention-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found. The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday. China has... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340442/china-signs-record-us213-billion-new-belt-and-road-deals-2025-report?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China’s economic growth cooled to the slowest pace since the pandemic at the end of last year, detracting from policymakers’ success in hitting an annual target. Year-on-year expansion was 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter, a third straight slowdown amid weak domestic demand, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Annual growth was 5 per cent, fuelled by a pre-tariffs rush of exports at the start of the year. Full-year fixed-asset investment fell for the first time in decades, dropping... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340420/chinas-two-speed-economy-faces-tough-2026-growth-cools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3340420/chinas-two-speed-economy-faces-tough-2026-growth-cools?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:43 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao China’s top securities regulator has signalled it wants a slower, longer-lasting stock market rally rather than a short-lived speculative surge as it steps up measures to curb excessive trading after activity and margin financing hit fresh highs early this year. The stance, reiterated at a securities watchdog meeting last week, drew renewed attention after regulators moved to cool pockets of overheating in the A-share market following a strong start to 2026. At its January 15 work conference,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340382/chinas-securities-regulator-clamps-down-speculation-prevent-sharp-market-swings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340382/chinas-securities-regulator-clamps-down-speculation-prevent-sharp-market-swings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Xinyi Wu Sylvia Ma,Xinyi Wu China has confirmed that it achieved its annual growth target last year as the economy weathered an unprecedented trade war with the United States, but growth slowed to a three-year low in the final quarter, dragged down by a series of domestic headwinds. Analysts expressed concern about China’s “lopsided” growth – with robust exports contrasting with soft internal demand – but pointed to the services sector as a “bright spot” as Beijing looks to shore up the economy heading into a new five-year... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3340360/chinas-gdp-rises-5-2025-us-trade-war-fails-knock-economy-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3340360/chinas-gdp-rises-5-2025-us-trade-war-fails-knock-economy-course?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:59:48 +0000