https://www.scmp.com/rss/512730/feed Leona joined the Post as an intern in June 2022 and December 2023. She is studying in the University of Hong Kong in a journalism master's programme. She also got a bachelor's degree in journalism from Hong Kong Baptist University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Chinese city of Chengdu is known by many Chinese millennials as the country’s unofficial “gay capital”, even sometimes dubbed “Gaydu”. Although probably more famous for pandas, Chengdu also has a reputation for its inclusive and laid-back culture. While such prevailing attitudes may have paved the way for a relatively more visible LGBTQ presence, the community must also contend with censorship from Beijing. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3267700/how-chengdu-became-chinas-unofficial-gay-capital-despite-uncertain-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3267700/how-chengdu-became-chinas-unofficial-gay-capital-despite-uncertain-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 03:23:07 +0000 Turbulent times are seeing Beijing dust off its old playbook that calls for ramping up infrastructure investments across the country, in an industrious bid to offset damage to the world’s second-largest economy by ongoing coronavirus restrictions and a faltering property sector. Indeed, the pace of infrastructure investment continues to accelerate. Year-over-year growth was 8.6 per cent in the first nine months of 2022, or 0.3 percentage points higher than during the first eight months. Hundreds... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3197048/what-are-chinas-major-infrastructure-projects-economically-fraught-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3197048/what-are-chinas-major-infrastructure-projects-economically-fraught-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 03:00:11 +0000 China lacks substantial impetus in its push to implement a circular economy for its plastics industry, leaving the root cause of plastic pollution largely unchecked, industrial experts and research have implied. China’s plastic-packaging industry should move to an efficient and resource-saving circular economy from the current linear economic model, according to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Tsinghua University that was released last week. This report, in line with the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3190699/chinas-plastic-problem-lack-circular-economy-stifling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3190699/chinas-plastic-problem-lack-circular-economy-stifling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:00:15 +0000 Chinese authorities are making disaster-relief preparations to ensure a strong autumn grain harvest amid warnings of more droughts and flooding across the country. Parts of southern China have been gripped by heatwaves and drought in recent months, with water levels in the country’s largest river and its two biggest freshwater lakes at record lows. The China Meteorological Administration has said the drought conditions are set to continue and also warned about the danger of flooding, which... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189235/chinas-heatwaves-stoke-drought-fears-ahead-critical-autumn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3189235/chinas-heatwaves-stoke-drought-fears-ahead-critical-autumn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:00:17 +0000 Leona Liu Ying Leona Liu Ying China’s oversight body for its film industry is issuing discounts on tickets to help bring theatregoers back to the cinema, in the latest move by authorities to boost consumption as the economy still faces sluggish growth prospects. The China Film Administration (CFA) has joined forces with several movie-ticketing platforms to issue 100 million yuan (US$14.8 million) worth of discount vouchers in an attempt to subsidise ticketing costs and bolster spending from now through October. With people... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188958/chinas-film-authority-entices-moviegoers-discount-vouchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188958/chinas-film-authority-entices-moviegoers-discount-vouchers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 03:00:42 +0000 Longwan district in Wenzhou, an important trading city, has announced plans to give families a childcare allowance to encourage more births. Families with two children will receive 500 yuan (US$74) per month for each one under three years old, while couples who have three kids will be given 1,000 yuan per child. The proposed policy, which was announced on Monday, is the latest attempt by Chinese authorities to boost births and roll back a looming demographic crisis that is being compounded by a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188706/china-population-district-announces-childcare-allowance-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3188706/china-population-district-announces-childcare-allowance-help?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Aug 2022 23:00:13 +0000 Despite hitting its highest level in two years last month, China’s consumer inflation is unlikely to breach the government’s target as stabilising pork prices and still-depressed growth momentum suggest limited further growth potential, analysts said. China’s consumer price index (CPI) rose by 2.7 per cent in July from a year earlier, up from 2.5 per cent in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Wednesday. The reading was below expectations, which had predicted an increase closer... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3188349/china-inflation-consumer-prices-edge-producer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3188349/china-inflation-consumer-prices-edge-producer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 01:34:09 +0000 Financial authorities in Henan and Anhui provinces have announced a fourth round of repayments to victims of the rural banking scandal, although many customers are still waiting for previously promised compensation. Individuals with deposits between 150,000 yuan and 250,000 yuan (US$37,000) at four rural banks in Henan province will be repaid on Monday, said a joint statement from the local branch of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) and the provincial financial... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187879/china-extends-compensation-henan-banking-crisis-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187879/china-extends-compensation-henan-banking-crisis-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 10:30:18 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signalled a higher tolerance for inflation this year, as Beijing looks to stabilise the economy in the face of multiple headwinds ranging from global recession risks to geopolitical uncertainty. Speaking at a forum of nearly 400 business leaders from more than 50 countries last month, Li indicated that China’s inflation rate could reach 3.5 per cent this year, a broader range than the target of around 3 per cent proposed by government in March. China’s consumer... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3187719/china-can-live-slightly-lower-gdp-growth-if-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3187719/china-can-live-slightly-lower-gdp-growth-if-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2022 22:15:15 +0000 The growing popularity of pre-cooked food in China – also known as the ready-meals industry – has made it a capital darling, with investors looking to cash in on the trend prompted by changes in people’s lifestyles amid the pandemic. In the world’s second-largest economy, the market for pre-prepared dishes has been mainly driven by caterers. But a shift from restaurants to family dining tables in the past two years, with so many people staying home in the era of stringent zero-Covid mobility... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187589/chinas-booming-ready-meals-industry-shows-how-pre-cooked-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187589/chinas-booming-ready-meals-industry-shows-how-pre-cooked-food?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Aug 2022 03:00:27 +0000 A contestant on a popular reality dating show in China soared to fame – or perhaps infamy – when she declared back in 2010 that she “would rather cry in a BMW than smile on a bicycle”. It was a hot take on materialism that reverberated through the country. But more than a decade later, the statement appears to stand in sharp contrast to a growing trend seen on both social media and city streets, as the wheels of change are hearkening back to a bygone era when the nation was known as the “Kingdom... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187071/chinas-bicycle-kingdom-returns-fuel-price-coronavirus-bring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187071/chinas-bicycle-kingdom-returns-fuel-price-coronavirus-bring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jul 2022 03:00:28 +0000 Three more financial officials in the central province of Henan have been put under investigation for “suspected severe disciplinary violations”, Chinese regulators said on Friday, as authorities rush to stem fallout from a banking scandal. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) announced the disciplinary probes into Guo Qin, a senior researcher of the provincial branch, and Xia Jun, the head of its sub-branch in Kaifeng city, in two statements on its website on... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187096/china-launches-discipline-probe-3-more-henan-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3187096/china-launches-discipline-probe-3-more-henan-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jul 2022 12:26:45 +0000 He Huifeng,Leona Liu Ying He Huifeng,Leona Liu Ying Driven by a growing sense of unease and uncertainty, some young people in China are saving over 50 per cent of their monthly salaries to “prevent emergencies”, including unemployment and illness. The coronavirus-induced economic downturn has clouded their outlook for future income and careers, tilting the balance from consumption to savings, according to a survey released this week. Only 6.9 per cent of the 2,200 people aged below 40 across China polled by online tech news platform youth36Kr... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3186247/chinas-gen-z-millennials-prefer-save-not-spend-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3186247/chinas-gen-z-millennials-prefer-save-not-spend-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jul 2022 04:00:13 +0000 With the rising cost of oil pushing up fuel surcharges on China’s domestic flights tenfold in the span of just five months, some budget travellers are deciding that flying is strictly for the birds. In some cases, the unprecedented surcharges are nearly as much as the base fare of the flight itself, prompting people to seek out other modes of transport, such as high-speed rail. Since July 5, the additional fuel charges for domestic flights up to 800km (500 miles) have reached 100 yuan (US$15)... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185816/china-travellers-reconsider-flights-high-oil-prices-see-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185816/china-travellers-reconsider-flights-high-oil-prices-see-fuel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:30:11 +0000 More effective measures should be taken to stabilise China’s employment situation, especially for college graduates who are finding it increasingly difficult to secure jobs, according to Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua. Hu said that although the current situation is generally positive, complex problems remain unsolved, and his pointed reference to fresh university graduates came on the heels of last week’s official figures showing that the youth unemployment rate – for those aged 16-24 – reached a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185707/chinas-youth-unemployment-keeps-rising-beijing-says-regional?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3185707/chinas-youth-unemployment-keeps-rising-beijing-says-regional?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jul 2022 15:00:12 +0000 The launch of a scheme to repay victims of one of China’s biggest banking scandals was hit by a series of problems when it launched on Friday as many customers found themselves unable to register their details online. However, many said they had succeeded in registering and the first payments had started arriving. ‘Could be huge’: why Henan bank scandal is more than a Chinese financial crisis Hundreds of thousands of depositors across China were affected by the scandal, involving four rural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3185415/chinese-bank-scandal-customers-left-unable-register-scheme-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3185415/chinese-bank-scandal-customers-left-unable-register-scheme-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:00:29 +0000 One of China’s major manufacturing hubs has restricted power usage for some factories amid a stifling heatwave and rising coal prices, raising concerns over a potential large-scale power outage that could further debilitate the struggling sector. Polyester and textile factories, as well as printing and dyeing mills, across eastern China’s Zhejiang province received power rationing notices this week, according to textile industry news service CCF, following a meeting of the Zhejiang Energy... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3185160/china-heatwave-prompts-energy-curbs-manufacturing-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3185160/china-heatwave-prompts-energy-curbs-manufacturing-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 22:15:14 +0000 Chinese authorities will start repaying some victims of one of the nation’s biggest ever financial scandals later this week after hundreds of savers took to the streets at the weekend in protest, but the move has still been met with disappointment and calls for more transparency. Individuals with deposits of up to 50,000 yuan (US$7,450) with Yuzhou Xinminsheng Village Bank, Shangcai Huimin County Bank, Zhecheng Huanghuai Community Bank or New Oriental Country Bank of Kaifeng in Henan province... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184968/chinas-banking-crisis-victims-promised-prompt-repayment-only?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184968/chinas-banking-crisis-victims-promised-prompt-repayment-only?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jul 2022 05:56:15 +0000 The number of births in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhu has fallen to “an extremely low level” and the local population is at risk of natural decline, authorities have said, in the latest example of the demographic crisis facing the world’s No 2 economy. In 2020, the fertility rate in Wuhu was 1.11, meaning that a woman of childbearing age between 15-49 years old had on average one child in her lifetime, lower than the national rate of 1.3 in the same period. The data, which was published... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184482/china-population-extremely-low-birth-rate-wuhu-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3184482/china-population-extremely-low-birth-rate-wuhu-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jul 2022 20:30:11 +0000 Stabilising employment in China has become an “arduous” task, according to Premier Li Keqiang, who urged action to curb rising joblessness to aid the struggling economy. Li already admitted last month that China may miss its “around 5.5 per cent” growth target, stressing that a realistic goal for the second quarter was to get the economy back on a growth trajectory. “The economy has made progress in recovery, but the fundamentals for recovery are not yet sufficiently solid and the tasks to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3183524/china-jobs-arduous-task-stabalise-employment-and-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3183524/china-jobs-arduous-task-stabalise-employment-and-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2022 10:29:32 +0000 China’s industrial profits continued their steep decline in May, albeit at a slower pace than in April, and the head of its central bank has vowed continued support for the nation’s economic recovery, with stable prices and employment support among the top priorities. With coronavirus restrictions still weighing on factory production and squeezing manufacturing margins, profits at industrial enterprises fell by 6.5 per cent last month, year on year, according to data released by the National... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3183246/chinas-may-industrial-profits-kept-tumbling-raising-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3183246/chinas-may-industrial-profits-kept-tumbling-raising-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jun 2022 12:00:19 +0000 China has unveiled a package of policies with the hope of avoiding a contraction in the second quarter of the year after Premier Li Keqiang sent a rare warning of an economic slowdown and ordered local cadres to front-load support plans. Beijing unveiled a 33-point package of policy items in late May, with the focus placed on fiscal policy as China has so far refrained from massively loosening monetary strategy, wary of risks of capital outflows due to the progressive rate increase plans in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3182686/6-ways-china-thinks-it-can-offset-zero-covid-impact-get-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3182686/6-ways-china-thinks-it-can-offset-zero-covid-impact-get-its?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 20:30:23 +0000 As she was entrenched at home during the coronavirus-induced lockdown of Shanghai last month, Jia Jingwen became increasingly anxious due to her limited access to food and essential household goods. For her and many others, government handouts were inadequate, so they tried their luck at securing vegetables and various supplies through online orders. But resources were limited and costly, and there was a risk that the delivery of their orders would be forbidden due to strict lockdowns. At one... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3181645/chinas-consumption-problem-rooted-fears-and-uncertainties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3181645/chinas-consumption-problem-rooted-fears-and-uncertainties?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:30:17 +0000 China’s premier has instructed the nation’s transport authorities to better facilitate the movement of goods, as strict zero-Covid measures and regional outbreaks continue to take a hefty toll on the sector that is characterised by high mobility. Meanwhile, the World Bank has revised its annual economic outlook for China in the wake of those highly disruptive outbreaks and lockdowns, owing to the impact they have had on the world’s second-largest economy. As a guarantor of China’s economic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3180907/chinas-transport-restrictions-have-upended-goods-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3180907/chinas-transport-restrictions-have-upended-goods-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:00:23 +0000 American coffee giant Starbucks has sparked backlash online after an outlet in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou was fined for selling expired coffee, the latest controversy for the company in its biggest market outside the United States. An inspection by the local market regulator in December last year found the shop had four boxes of expired coffee powder on its shelves selling for 69 yuan (US$10) each. Last month, authorities hit the shop with a 10,000 yuan fine, according to state-back... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3180736/us-coffee-giant-starbucks-faces-more-backlash-china-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3180736/us-coffee-giant-starbucks-faces-more-backlash-china-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jun 2022 12:45:23 +0000 China has expelled a former top official of eastern Jiangsu province from the Communist Party with a rare accusation of fabricating economic data. Zhang Jinghua, a former deputy party chief of Jiangsu, was found to have “faked economic figures for personal promotion and meddled in market activities in violation of relevant rules,” the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on Tuesday. It did not provide specifics of the accusation, but it is rare for senior... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3179986/china-corruption-communist-party-expels-ex-nanjing-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3179986/china-corruption-communist-party-expels-ex-nanjing-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jun 2022 07:33:50 +0000