https://www.scmp.com/rss/510274/feed Luna Sun joined the Post in 2021, covering China’s economy and social issues. She has previously covered local news and human interest stories in Indiana and New York City before returning to Beijing. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Luna Sun Luna Sun A budget bubble tea chain from China best known for its cheap ice creams and drinks may soon be adding roller coasters and immersive shows to its menu. Mixue, boasting more stores than McDonald’s and growing rapidly outside China, is planning to build a theme park at its headquarters in Zhengzhou, the capital of central China’s Henan province. The park will be based on its Snow King mascot, a singing snowman that has become one of Chinese retailing’s most recognisable intellectual properties... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346502/chinese-bubble-tea-chain-mixue-straps-theme-park-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346502/chinese-bubble-tea-chain-mixue-straps-theme-park-project?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Japan’s unilateral decision to release oil from its emergency stockpiles highlights its vulnerability to prolonged supply disruptions and may leave it more exposed to economic pressure from China amid tense bilateral relations, according to analysts. Tokyo announced earlier this week that it planned to release a total of 80 million barrels starting March 16, marking the first time it would independently tap its national reserves. The decision came ahead of a coordinated response by the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346499/japan-taps-oil-reserves-iran-war-spreads-could-it-give-china-leverage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346499/japan-taps-oil-reserves-iran-war-spreads-could-it-give-china-leverage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:00:15 +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 Luna Sun Luna Sun Beijing should increase investment in early childhood education and lifelong learning as AI reshapes the world’s largest labour market, a prominent Chinese economist has said. The real policy test for China is whether it can shift decisively from investing in capital to investing in people, while policy and regulation must steer artificial intelligence (AI) towards empowering rather than replacing workers, according to Cai Fang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences focusing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:00:07 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China would have bought nearly 60 per cent more goods from the United States in 2025 if not for US President Donald Trump’s trade wars, according to a former chief economist at the US State Department. That shortfall would have reached about US$90 billion for the year, wrote Chad Bown in an article published on Tuesday by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, where he is a senior fellow. His comments came as US goods exports to China declined sharply by 25.8 per cent in 2025 from a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345260/trumps-tariff-wars-reshaped-us-china-trade-what-cost-american-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345260/trumps-tariff-wars-reshaped-us-china-trade-what-cost-american-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:00:39 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China widened its lead over South Korea in critical technologies in recent years, according to an official review by Seoul’s science ministry, as Beijing doubles down on strategic investment in advanced research. The expanding gap underscores the need for both countries to move beyond zero-sum competition and deepen cooperation in economic and technological development, according to analysts. Quantifying this trend, the latest technology-level assessment from the South Korean Ministry of Science... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344607/china-extends-tech-lead-over-south-korea-and-surpasses-japan-seouls-ranking-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344607/china-extends-tech-lead-over-south-korea-and-surpasses-japan-seouls-ranking-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Richard Liu, founder of China’s retail giant JD.com, has launched a nautical brand to build out the country’s yacht industry, riding a wave of policy support to tap a fast-growing domestic market and make the vessels – traditionally associated with affluence and luxury – accessible to “everyday consumers”. Liu’s brand, Sea Expandary, signed a strategic framework agreement on Tuesday with the coastal cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong, China’s southern powerhouse province, for a high-end... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344583/boat-every-dock-chinese-billionaire-unveils-plan-mass-yacht-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344583/boat-every-dock-chinese-billionaire-unveils-plan-mass-yacht-production?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:30:07 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Chinese demand for overseas schooling, holidays and medical treatment has contributed to a persistent deficit in the country’s services trade, but signs of a tentative counter-current are emerging as a growing stream of foreign patients heads to China. The change – modest in scale but symbolically significant – comes as China, long the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, seeks to build strength in exporting high-value services. While patients in the United States or Europe may wait months to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343956/could-medical-care-help-cure-chinas-services-trade-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343956/could-medical-care-help-cure-chinas-services-trade-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun AstraZeneca’s former China head has been formally charged with medical insurance fraud, illegal trading and unlawful collection of personal information, more than a year after he first came under investigation – casting a shadow over the Swedish-British drug maker’s expansion in its second-largest market. The pharmaceutical giant confirmed to the Financial Times and Reuters that Leon Wang was one of two individuals indicted, as referenced in its latest earnings report published on Tuesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343522/china-charges-former-astrazeneca-executive-what-it-means-global-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343522/china-charges-former-astrazeneca-executive-what-it-means-global-pharmaceutical-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s marriage registrations edged up in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for the birth outlook this year, but analysts caution that deeper demographic headwinds remain entrenched and difficult to reverse without broader policy support. China recorded 6.76 million marriage registrations nationwide in 2025, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, marking a 10.8 per cent increase from a year earlier, or 657,000 more couples. The number of marriage registrations is closely watched in China,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343330/chinas-marriage-rebound-will-more-2025-knots-bring-more-baby-bumps-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s logistics efficiency hit a new high in 2025, as expanding infrastructure investment and rapid adoption of new technologies supported productivity growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The ratio of total social logistics costs to gross domestic product fell to 13.9 per cent in 2025 – the lowest level on record – down from 14.1 per cent in 2024, according to data released by the National Development and Reform Commission. That meant 13.9 yuan (US$2.01) was spent on logistics for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343209/how-ai-delivery-drones-helped-china-cut-logistics-costs-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343209/how-ai-delivery-drones-helped-china-cut-logistics-costs-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun A senior executive at one of China’s major policy banks has been placed under investigation, becoming the latest target in a sweeping official anti-corruption drive across the financial sector. Xu Yiding, vice-president of the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC) and member of its Communist Party committee, is suspected of “serious violations of party discipline and the law”, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. The two... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342816/farmers-son-banker-xu-yiding-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342816/farmers-son-banker-xu-yiding-under-investigation-chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 15:00:14 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s long-term growth trajectory will depend on the introduction of market reforms, and the country’s potential growth rate could fall to about 2.5 per cent in the coming years unless action is taken, a prominent Chinese economist has warned. “Without a strong turnaround in total factor productivity and a meaningful expansion in household consumption, it will be difficult for China’s economic growth to reach 4 per cent or higher,” said Zhou Tianyong, former deputy head of the Central Party... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342679/chinas-future-growth-rate-could-drop-25-without-market-reforms-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342679/chinas-future-growth-rate-could-drop-25-without-market-reforms-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 08:00:16 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun For those in China’s cross-border trade business, a sweeping tax crackdown is beginning to be felt. Heightened scrutiny of unreported overseas income is reshaping cost structures, squeezing margins and forcing exporters to rethink how they operate across borders. “It has taken a real bite out of profits,” said Henry Huang, a Zhejiang-based exporter who now faces higher taxes yet little room to pass on costs to price-sensitive customers in the United States and Europe. “It’s hitting everyone in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342697/china-intensifies-offshore-tax-hunt-exporters-struggle-compliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342697/china-intensifies-offshore-tax-hunt-exporters-struggle-compliance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Shanghai aims to cement its status as a national and international driver of innovation by further strengthening its advanced industrial chain, municipal officials said as the city wrapped up its annual policy-setting meetings. The city is one of China’s most important commercial and technology hubs and aims to remain so with better access to data, talent and capital in a range of areas, from computing power to humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence. “We are ramping up the supply of key... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342768/shanghai-makes-future-tech-bid-promise-data-talent-and-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342768/shanghai-makes-future-tech-bid-promise-data-talent-and-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Defying a tight domestic job market, a record wave of overseas graduates is flooding back to China, eager to snatch up opportunities in its fast-growing tech and advanced manufacturing sectors. The influx, up 12 per cent in 2025 to an eight-year high, signals “determined confidence” among globally trained talent, according to findings by job-recruitment platform Zhaopin. And the robustness of this homecoming trend, at 2.25 times the 2018 level, points to a “sustained trend” in domestic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342123/more-overseas-chinese-grads-return-brain-gain-powers-future-home-grown-frontiers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3342123/more-overseas-chinese-grads-return-brain-gain-powers-future-home-grown-frontiers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:00:15 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun With less than five months to go before the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a wave of World Cup-driven orders is already rippling through China’s manufacturing heartlands. In Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city long known as the world’s largest hub for small commodities, exporters of fan merchandise and sporting accessories are reporting an early surge in overseas orders. World Cup fan merchandise maker and exporter Miji, who declined to give his full... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341497/world-cup-boosts-merch-demand-chinas-small-goods-capital-yiwu-stays-wary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341497/world-cup-boosts-merch-demand-chinas-small-goods-capital-yiwu-stays-wary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun As the number of people living alone in China skyrockets, a wave of products and services is emerging to address the safety, social and mental health needs of the country’s solo-living population, analysts said. The issue was thrust into the public spotlight earlier this month, when a check-in app called Are You Dead? – or Sileme in Chinese – briefly surged to the top of paid app charts in mainland China and several other markets, revealing the scale of China’s vast and rapidly expanding solo... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341009/solo-dining-safety-apps-chinas-loneliness-economy-booming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341009/solo-dining-safety-apps-chinas-loneliness-economy-booming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 03:00:13 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun From ice castles in Harbin to ski resorts in Xinjiang and glaciers in Sichuan, China’s ice and snow destinations are seeing a sharp rise in foreign arrivals as the winter weather deepens, with visa rules easing and strong Southeast Asian demand driving triple-digit growth in inbound travel. Inbound bookings to China’s winter destinations have climbed close to 100 per cent year on year this season, with growth in Hebei province, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Inner Mongolia... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339834/foreigners-flock-chinas-ice-and-snow-attractions-130-inbound-tourism-spike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339834/foreigners-flock-chinas-ice-and-snow-attractions-130-inbound-tourism-spike?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Luna Sun Ralph Jennings,Luna Sun Chinese and US negotiators are expected to discuss stepping up trade in AI chips and farm products, as well as what to do later this year when their hard-fought 2025 truce expires – all before President Donald Trump visits China for the first time in his current term, analysts said on Wednesday. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested on Tuesday that the pieces were in place for an April summit in Beijing between Trump and President Xi Jinping, as announced by the US leader in late... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340710/chips-soybeans-tariffs-whats-tap-us-china-talks-trumps-next-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340710/chips-soybeans-tariffs-whats-tap-us-china-talks-trumps-next-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s birth count plummeted to a record low last year, falling by about 10 million from its 2016 peak and slashing the total by more than half in less than a decade, as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year. Only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, down 17 per cent from 9.54 million in 2024, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. This marked the lowest birth figure since records began in 1949 and broke the previous record low set... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340398/chinas-demographic-alarms-blare-births-hit-historic-low-and-population-shrinks-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340398/chinas-demographic-alarms-blare-births-hit-historic-low-and-population-shrinks-again?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:09:40 +0000 Luna Sun,Themis Qi,Zhang Shidong Luna Sun,Themis Qi,Zhang Shidong China’s state-owned power grid giant has pledged to increase fixed-asset investment by 40 per cent over the next five years, at a time when some analysts view electricity capacity as a strategic asset in the US-China rivalry amid soaring demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and other power-hungry industries. The State Grid Corporation of China expects the investment amount to reach 4 trillion yuan (US$574 billion) through 2030, a company record, as it accelerates efforts to build a “new-type... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340194/ai-reshaping-us-china-tech-race-can-electricity-tilt-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340194/ai-reshaping-us-china-tech-race-can-electricity-tilt-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Luna Sun,He Huifeng Luna Sun,He Huifeng With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. In the days since Washington’s ousting and abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – an event that sent shock waves through global markets – some... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339607/us-has-played-its-hand-latin-america-will-chinas-firms-there-cash-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339607/us-has-played-its-hand-latin-america-will-chinas-firms-there-cash-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China has called on the US to work together to prevent a resurgence of militarism in Japan, with Beijing signalling that more sanctions could be in the pipeline for Tokyo’s defence industry. “Preventing militarism from harming the world again is in the common interest of both our countries [China and the United States],” Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in an article published in US-based Executive Intelligence Review earlier this week. “We should rise above... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339449/china-calls-us-form-united-front-against-japanese-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339449/china-calls-us-form-united-front-against-japanese-militarism?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 11:56:47 +0000 Luna Sun,Ralph Jennings Luna Sun,Ralph Jennings Morgan Stanley has revised its outlook for the yuan, now forecasting it to strengthen to about 6.85 per US dollar in the first quarter of 2026 from a previous call of 7.05, before weakening slightly to about 7.0 by the end of the year. The bank expects China’s “robust” exports through 2026 to 2027 to provide “a steady tailwind to nominal yuan”, with volumes projected to grow 5 to 6 per cent as the recovery in global demand broadens beyond tech and the country’s price competitiveness improves,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339358/chinas-yuan-strengthen-685-us-dollar-first-quarter-2026-morgan-stanley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339358/chinas-yuan-strengthen-685-us-dollar-first-quarter-2026-morgan-stanley?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:30:19 +0000 Luna Sun,He Huifeng Luna Sun,He Huifeng Chinese companies operating in Latin America are bracing for greater uncertainty rather than an abrupt rupture, as Washington moves to reassert dominance in the western hemisphere following the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to analysts. This sense of caution comes amid intensifying US efforts to curb China’s footprint in strategic resources, infrastructure and trade across the region. “There is little doubt that a Trump-style Monroe Doctrine is aimed squarely at... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338730/after-trumps-venezuela-takeover-chinas-investors-prep-latin-american-era-anxiety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338730/after-trumps-venezuela-takeover-chinas-investors-prep-latin-american-era-anxiety?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:00:19 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s job market is entering a decisive phase of structural transformation as the country retools its growth model after years of rapid expansion. As jobseekers struggle to reconcile shrinking traditional opportunities with a labour market in flux, Beijing has laid out a road map in the next five-year plan for reshaping its employment landscape amid demographic shifts through innovation-led industries, upgraded services and regionally balanced development. In this explainer, the Post outlines... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337290/what-are-chinas-hottest-jobs-ai-reshapes-labour-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337290/what-are-chinas-hottest-jobs-ai-reshapes-labour-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Wang Nan, a hardware trader in China’s eastern city of Yiwu, expected her business to feel some pain when the US-China trade war escalated in April. “Last year, we still had many American clients, but the tariffs changed everything,” she said. Yet, Wang’s firm not only survived a rollercoaster year – which at one point saw US tariffs soar to triple-digit levels – it has emerged even stronger. An aggressive push to find new buyers in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa paid off. In the end,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338358/how-worlds-supermarket-rode-out-trumps-tariffs-and-grew-even-stronger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun A customs scheme covering the entirety of Hainan, China’s southern island province, appears to have triggered a surge in consumption since its inception last week, with the province’s tourism hub Sanya recording more than 500 million yuan (US$71.25 million) in duty-free sales over five days. Analysts cautioned, however, that the greater significance of the policy lies less in short-term spending boosts than in whether Hainan can diversify its economy beyond its previous reliance on real estate... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338035/chinas-hainan-hosts-duty-free-shopping-spree-under-new-customs-regime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338035/chinas-hainan-hosts-duty-free-shopping-spree-under-new-customs-regime?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Luna Sun,He Huifeng Luna Sun,He Huifeng China has launched a national fund designed to channel state-backed money into early-stage bets on tech, a move officials said could ultimately steer trillions of yuan into preferred avenues of investment. Beijing’s National Venture Capital Guidance Fund was unveiled on Friday, at a ceremony which also introduced three investment vehicles covering major cross-regional agglomerations: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. At... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337798/china-launches-venture-capital-fund-lead-charge-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337798/china-launches-venture-capital-fund-lead-charge-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China is taking steps to reshape the direction of its foreign investment, unveiling a revised catalogue of encouraged industries that steers overseas capital towards the advanced and technologically complex sectors Beijing’s policymakers view as future growth drivers. The revised catalogue, which takes effect in February 2026, covers 1,679 industries – 205 more than the current version, which was released in 2022. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce said the changes are aimed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3337727/china-sharpens-sales-pitch-overseas-investment-new-list-sought-after-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/policy/article/3337727/china-sharpens-sales-pitch-overseas-investment-new-list-sought-after-sectors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 11:00:18 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China has taken a step towards regulating the childcare industry at the national level, drafting legislation to standardise services and lower costs as policymakers fight to reverse a demographic decline that could have long-term economic ramifications. The draft Childcare Services Law was submitted on Monday to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for review, according to Xinhua. The bill, comprising eight chapters and 76 articles, aims to establish a national legal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337317/china-eyes-childcare-overhaul-law-boost-births-fix-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3337317/china-eyes-childcare-overhaul-law-boost-births-fix-demographic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:30:14 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun McDonald’s China arm has raised prices on most menu items, igniting a social media backlash as consumers grapple with job uncertainty and stagnant wages. Patrons discovered this week that prices for burgers, snacks and combos rose by up to 1 yuan (US$0.14). While modest, the increase drew attention because the chain’s budget combo has long been dubbed the “poor man’s meal” by frugal young adults. Some quipped online that “McDonald’s prices are rising, but my salary isn’t”, or that the popular... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336762/not-lovin-it-chinese-fume-mcdonalds-raised-prices-costlier-poor-mans-meal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China has announced a new policy package to boost household spending by tightening coordination between commerce and financial regulators, expanding access to credit and promoting new forms of consumption. The move comes as soft retail sales and weak consumer confidence continued to weigh on economic growth last month, highlighting the urgency for policymakers to expand domestic demand. That priority has topped the agenda of the central economic work conference – an annual gathering of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336515/china-issues-11-point-policy-package-boost-consumer-spending-amid-slowing-retail-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336515/china-issues-11-point-policy-package-boost-consumer-spending-amid-slowing-retail-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:30:18 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun From cash handouts to reimbursed procedures, local governments across China are throwing money at in vitro fertilisation and related fertility treatments in a bid to coax couples into having children. But some experts warn that the hi-tech push ignores the low-tech reality: raising a family is simply too expensive, and fertility subsidies cannot reverse China’s demographic decline. Jingmen, a city in central Hubei province, is the latest to join the fray, announcing subsidies of up to 10,000... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336505/chinas-fertility-push-ivf-grants-grow-high-costs-still-deter-couples?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:30:16 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China is about to switch on a satellite “super factory” able to produce 1,000 units annually – a major step in Beijing’s race to build low Earth orbit constellations as part of its ambition to one day rival Elon Musk’s Starlink. The facility, located inside the Wenchang spaceport in China’s southernmost Hainan province, integrates a “factory-to-launch” pipeline that assembles, tests and pairs satellites with rockets. This makes it the only base of its kind in the country and Asia’s largest... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335926/china-launches-satellite-super-factory-bid-rival-elon-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335926/china-launches-satellite-super-factory-bid-rival-elon-musks-starlink?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Jing Quan, formerly the second-in-command at the Chinese embassy in Washington, arrived in Manila on Saturday to assume his post as Beijing’s top envoy to the Philippines, pledging to both defend national interests and stabilise bilateral ties. “As the ambassador, I will firmly safeguard China’s national interests and dignity, while also serving as a bridge to ensure China-Philippines relations stabilise rather than deteriorate, and that our peoples draw closer instead of drifting apart,” Jing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335460/china-sends-seasoned-american-hand-serve-top-envoy-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335460/china-sends-seasoned-american-hand-serve-top-envoy-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:01:56 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Only a few years ago, the notion that Beyond Meat – the former poster child of the plant-based meat industry – would shut down its operations in China seemed unthinkable. At the height of the brand’s popularity, its label could be found adorning heavily promoted products at restaurants and grocery stores across major cities. Many observers speculated that the alternative meat company and others like it had found the next great success story in the country’s rapidly evolving consumer market. But... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335365/why-chinas-consumers-found-hype-around-plant-based-meat-hard-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335365/why-chinas-consumers-found-hype-around-plant-based-meat-hard-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s average life expectancy hit a record 79 years in 2024, edging closer to developed-nation levels as the country grapples with a deepening demographic crisis and scrambles to improve aged-care resources. In discussing the all-time high, which broke the 2023 record of 78.6 years, National Health Commission (NHC) head Lei Haichao reiterated on Monday that the country’s newborns should be expected to live an average of 80 years by 2030 – a key metric in President Xi Jinping’s “Healthy China”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335079/living-79-chinas-record-longevity-puts-economic-wrinkles-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335079/living-79-chinas-record-longevity-puts-economic-wrinkles-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:30:18 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun After a turbulent year marked by the trade war and domestic headwinds, China will head into 2026 cautiously as it grapples with structural challenges to growth. Global investors are watching closely to see how Beijing works to shore up confidence, double down on strategic industries and mitigate overcapacity, all while navigating a fast-evolving geopolitical environment. In this explainer, the Post distils forecasts from major investment banks and economists on what to expect in 2026, also the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334550/whats-next-chinas-economy-2026-and-how-it-plans-tackle-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334550/whats-next-chinas-economy-2026-and-how-it-plans-tackle-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 01:00:16 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Beijing is expected to calibrate its response to Japan with caution, weighing potential punitive measures against the risk of economic blowback, analysts say. And while China possesses an arsenal of levers – from tourism curbs to export controls – the experts warn that a heavy hand could backfire. “China won’t move abruptly,” said Xu Weijun, an assistant research professor with the Institute of Public Policy at the South China University of Technology. He noted that economic interdependence... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334120/what-economic-cards-will-china-play-japan-analysts-say-beijing-faces-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334120/what-economic-cards-will-china-play-japan-analysts-say-beijing-faces-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:00:12 +0000 Coco Feng,Luna Sun Coco Feng,Luna Sun China is walking away in the humanoid robot race, while Elon Musk’s Tesla struggles to get to the starting line. Xpeng, Unitree Robotics and other Chinese robot makers are in or near mass production of ever more sophisticated robots, and already chalking up orders worth more than US$100 million. By contrast, the sales debut for Tesla’s Optimus has slipped into 2026 after repeated delays. In very public shows of progress, Chinese humanoid robots have this year danced alongside humans for a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333635/chinas-humanoid-robots-enter-workforce-tesla-wait-goes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3333635/chinas-humanoid-robots-enter-workforce-tesla-wait-goes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 05:15:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun The Japanese yen slid to a nine-month low against the US dollar, breaching a closely watched threshold of 155 amid domestic policy uncertainties, fading expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in December, and amplified China-Japan tensions over Taiwan. The yen’s exchange rate briefly weakened beyond 155.3 to the dollar on Tuesday before improving slightly, while broader markets also came under pressure. Stocks slumped, bonds were sold off, and long-term yields jumped to multi-decade highs,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333268/japan-yen-slips-past-155-us-dollar-fiscal-doubts-china-spat-sap-investor-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3333268/japan-yen-slips-past-155-us-dollar-fiscal-doubts-china-spat-sap-investor-confidence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:43:39 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun The administration of US President Donald Trump hopes to confirm a deal to secure rare earth supplies from China by Thanksgiving, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview, framing the agreement as vital to shoring up America’s supply chains. The remarks came as the Council on Foreign Relations, a US-based think tank, warned in a new report that the US’ reliance on Chinese critical minerals remained a major strategic vulnerability that Washington needed to address. A rare earths deal... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333113/us-races-secure-china-rare-earths-deal-worries-over-chokeholds-linger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333113/us-races-secure-china-rare-earths-deal-worries-over-chokeholds-linger?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:00:17 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun China’s premier metropolis has a vision for the future of dining – and it is one involving restaurants run by artificial intelligence, with automated kitchens, robot servers, data-driven menus and intelligent supply chains. The spread of automation in the catering sector has become a hot-button issue in China over recent months, but Shanghai appears committed to charging ahead with a plan to transform local eateries using smart technology. The city has set a target of becoming a “nationally... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332815/shanghai-unveils-radical-plan-new-era-ai-dining-and-robot-kitchens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332815/shanghai-unveils-radical-plan-new-era-ai-dining-and-robot-kitchens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 06:00:21 +0000 Luna Sun,Frank Chen Luna Sun,Frank Chen As China’s youth continue to struggle to find jobs suited to their skills and background, some enterprising hopefuls are making use of an unorthodox channel to unearth new opportunities: the country’s sprawling trade fairs and expos. Discouraged by the limited openings at both domestic and foreign firms, many jobseekers view these events – often the largest of their kind – as chances to network, explore new industries and even pick up temporary positions as expo employees. “I go to these expos... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332500/fair-wages-chinas-young-jobseekers-take-their-resumes-trade-expos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332500/fair-wages-chinas-young-jobseekers-take-their-resumes-trade-expos?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:00:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Early in the morning in cities across China, groups of people gather in public squares, moving as one in slow, deliberate tai chi routines. Many are in their sixties or seventies – an age group that has long defined the rhythm of daily life in much of the country. While these dedicated practitioners have been a part of the national routine for decades, their ubiquity carries new connotations as the country undergoes a profound shift in population dynamics: China is growing old, fast. As of last... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332223/more-china-becomes-moderately-aged-how-will-its-economy-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332223/more-china-becomes-moderately-aged-how-will-its-economy-change?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun “Bumpy” US-China relations will persist for decades as the rivalry shifts from trade to the weaponisation of strategic sectors and supply chains, according to a former head of the World Trade Organization. Bilateral ties will experience “ups and downs, and to and fro, and left and right”, said Pascal Lamy, former WTO director general, during a media event at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. “Their geostrategic competition… will not abate,” he said. “If you have both... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332163/china-us-trade-rivalry-will-last-next-50-years-warns-ex-wto-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332163/china-us-trade-rivalry-will-last-next-50-years-warns-ex-wto-head?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:05:27 +0000