https://www.scmp.com/rss/521325/feed June studies financial journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University. Her interests span from political economy to international affairs. She hopes to offer nuanced perspectives on the world’s complexities with a special focus on China. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com June Xia June Xia A booming market for miniature clothing has become the latest growth driver in China’s “doll economy” – fuelled by Gen Z’s passion for the toys and the emotional comfort they provide. “Loving ball-jointed dolls is as natural as breathing,” said 21-year-old Clementine Cai from Zhejiang. Two years after falling in love with the toys, she had spent over 3,000 yuan (US$417) on outfits alone – a sizeable amount given her roughly 2,000 yuan in monthly expenses. Unlike the wildly popular Labubu vinyl... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322816/how-chinas-gen-z-sparked-doll-fashion-craze-and-its-impact-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322816/how-chinas-gen-z-sparked-doll-fashion-craze-and-its-impact-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:11 +0000 June Xia June Xia The world’s largest jewellery company by volume is facing a wave of store closures across China – a move that serves to illustrate a broader retreat by foreign brands as consumer preferences shift towards practical products that offer more value for the money. Danish jewellery brand Pandora, known for its fast-paced product launches and global sales of more than 100 million pieces a year, announced in its second-quarter earnings report on August 15 that it would expand its original plan to close... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322815/foreign-brands-china-are-losing-market-share-domestic-rivals-year-after-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322815/foreign-brands-china-are-losing-market-share-domestic-rivals-year-after-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 10:00:14 +0000 June Xia June Xia There’s a new king atop China’s 2D animated box office, and it’s Nobody. Shanghai Animation Film Studio’s movie has overtaken Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume as the highest-grossing 2D animated film in Chinese box office history while becoming a dark horse in the nation’s summer movie season. With its success, Nobody has dethroned the dominance of Japanese animated films in China. Before Nobody’s debut on August 2, the all-time top three such movies at the Chinese box office were Suzume, having... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322376/surprising-many-nobody-becomes-chinas-top-2d-animated-film-box-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3322376/surprising-many-nobody-becomes-chinas-top-2d-animated-film-box-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:30:07 +0000 June Xia June Xia In a leafy Los Angeles garden, a mafia boss dressed in a flamboyant white suit stands at an altar, shooting wildly into the rows of seats in front of him as his guests dive for cover. The wedding has been infiltrated by a team of assassins, but the young don is not going down without a fight. He continues to fire at his enemies, using his body to shield his petite bride from the flying bullets. “Cut!” director Xiang Sining cheerfully shouts from behind the monitor. That’s a wrap for Kidnapped by... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322032/chinese-vertical-dramas-are-booming-america-should-hollywood-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322032/chinese-vertical-dramas-are-booming-america-should-hollywood-be-worried?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 22:00:25 +0000 June Xia,Ji Siqi June Xia,Ji Siqi In another show of support for China’s private sector, Beijing has released the details of a speech from President Xi Jinping which included vows the country would guarantee a level playing field for private firms, safeguard entrepreneurs’ lawful rights and interests, and step up efforts to solve their long-standing challenges, including overdue payments. The full address, delivered in February to a group of China’s leading entrepreneurs, had not been made available to the public before Friday,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321999/chinas-xi-jinping-calls-no-delay-private-sector-protection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321999/chinas-xi-jinping-calls-no-delay-private-sector-protection?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:00:22 +0000 He Huifeng,June Xia He Huifeng,June Xia Rebecca Wei’s new home still looks like a construction site. The road running up to the high-rise housing complex in the central Chinese city of Luoyang is unfinished, dissolving into gravel before reaching the front gate. Wei’s apartment itself is little more than a shell. The floors are bare cement. There is no permanent water or electricity supply, and the building does not comply with Chinese fire safety regulations. “The developer delivered the property without even meeting the basic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321715/4-years-after-evergrande-crash-chinese-families-are-still-stuck-broken-houses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321715/4-years-after-evergrande-crash-chinese-families-are-still-stuck-broken-houses?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:31:56 +0000 June Xia June Xia Young people’s passion for live performances is redefining the concept of “Night Shanghai” as they spend their nights immersed in theatres, where they socialise with friends or collect show-related items. “I haven’t seen another city where you can walk just a few steps in the city centre and find a theatre,” said 22-year-old Shanghai resident Cindy Huang. Spending around 300 yuan (US$41.77) per show, the university student allocates nearly 80 per cent of her living expenses to attending three to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321203/gen-zs-passion-live-performances-drives-nighttime-consumption-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321203/gen-zs-passion-live-performances-drives-nighttime-consumption-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 08:00:10 +0000 June Xia June Xia China’s tropical island province of Hainan is accelerating its push to become a leading medical tourism hub, aiming to attract more nationals to use local healthcare services instead of seeking treatment abroad – after South Korea announced plans to scrap tax rebates for foreigners undergoing cosmetic surgery. The popular tourist destination in southern China plans to draw more than 1.5 million domestic medical tourists annually by 2027, up from the current level of over 400,000, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320704/chinas-hainan-eyes-medical-tourism-boom-after-south-korea-axes-cosmetic-surgery-tax-perks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320704/chinas-hainan-eyes-medical-tourism-boom-after-south-korea-axes-cosmetic-surgery-tax-perks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 23:00:16 +0000 June Xia June Xia In China’s hottest new basketball league, the players are all amateurs, the mascots are a pair of live chickens riding a remote control Jeep, and the winning teams are presented with plastic bags full of fish. Welcome to the “ZheBA” – an intercity competition in China’s eastern Zhejiang province that has become a national sensation by tapping into the region’s fierce local pride and diverse culture. The contest, officially named the Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League, features dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320442/passion-pride-and-live-pigs-inside-chinas-booming-local-basketball-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3320442/passion-pride-and-live-pigs-inside-chinas-booming-local-basketball-league?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:00:09 +0000 June Xia June Xia Stimulating consumer demand and encouraging sustainable innovation are vital to China’s efforts to combat excessive competition – termed neijuan in Chinese, or “involution” - and could even help turn the trend into a virtuous cycle, analysts said. Top-down macroeconomic policies are also crucial, as actions taken by enterprises alone are insufficient, they added. “The essence of ‘involutional’ competition is inefficient competition in a limited market space,” analysts from China International... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319009/china-urged-curb-neijuan-boosting-domestic-consumption-innovation-led-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3319009/china-urged-curb-neijuan-boosting-domestic-consumption-innovation-led-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:30:07 +0000 June Xia June Xia Officials across China have been racking their brains to think of ways to reverse a sharp decline in the country’s marriage rate over the past few years. Their latest idea: Las Vegas-style weddings at popular music festivals. Local officials in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, made headlines over the weekend when they set up a temporary registry office at the Super Strawberry Music Festival – the latest in a string of eye-catching local initiatives designed to tempt... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318758/china-tries-tempt-couples-marriage-music-festival-wedding-booths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318758/china-tries-tempt-couples-marriage-music-festival-wedding-booths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 08:00:09 +0000 June Xia June Xia It was a sprawling cultural and tourism project that completely went off the rails, and now Beijing is using it as evidence of grass-roots government mismanagement – one of three high-profile examples of wastefulness newly flagged by China’s disciplinary authorities. Following an investigation, the project – dubbed “Yaohan Longevity City” and located in Gongcheng Yao autonomous county of Guilin – was condemned as a “severe waste of resources”. Initially hailed in 2018 as a key initiative in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318788/china-slams-grass-roots-mismanagement-shames-longevity-city-debacle-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318788/china-slams-grass-roots-mismanagement-shames-longevity-city-debacle-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jul 2025 03:00:15 +0000 June Xia June Xia Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hubei have announced they would extend the duration of the region’s paid marriage leave to 15 days, the latest move from a local government to provide incentives for marriage and slow the country’s decline in birth rates. The extension, which includes the national minimum of three days, is meant to foster a more “family-friendly society”, according to a document issued by the provincial government on Monday. “To fully implement national regulations... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318285/chinese-province-quintuples-marriage-leave-give-betrothals-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3318285/chinese-province-quintuples-marriage-leave-give-betrothals-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:30:08 +0000 June Xia June Xia Catering at luxury hotels typically involves high-end banquets and formal entertainment, with exquisite decor and masterfully crafted dishes often seen as worth the high price tag. But for many consumers in China, that is changing. In July, the five-star Zhongwu Hotel in Changzhou, Jiangsu province – ranked second among 10 luxury hotels in the city on Trip.com – surprised observers when it launched a street vendor service offering budget meal boxes prepared by its catering team. “You must first... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317876/chinas-luxury-hotels-sell-street-food-survive-tough-business-climate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317876/chinas-luxury-hotels-sell-street-food-survive-tough-business-climate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 08:00:11 +0000 June Xia June Xia The government-affiliated kindergarten that Lily Wang works for in northeastern China used to be reserved for the children of officials, but China’s plunging birth rate means it is having to cast its net wider nowadays. “The leadership has shifted its approach, enlarging the enrolment base and learning from the southern regions by adopting group-based management,” said Wang, a senior teacher at the kindergarten in Harbin, Heilongjiang’s provincial capital. It began recruiting pupils from the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317882/chinas-kindergartens-grapple-economic-impact-plunge-prospective-pupils?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317882/chinas-kindergartens-grapple-economic-impact-plunge-prospective-pupils?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 06:00:11 +0000 June Xia June Xia China’s expansion of visa-free entry to nationals from dozens of countries appears to have yielded substantial results, with tourists arriving in droves from overseas and providing a much-needed boost to the country’s consumption in the first half of the year. Shanghai, the country’s financial hub, saw 2.6 million visits from abroad in the first six months of 2025, up 44.8 per cent year on year according to local authorities. About 1.4 million of them entered China under a visa-free policy, more... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317241/chinas-visa-free-policy-pays-dividends-overseas-entries-soar-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3317241/chinas-visa-free-policy-pays-dividends-overseas-entries-soar-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 13:00:12 +0000 June Xia June Xia China has launched a fully seawater-based solar energy system – the first of its kind suitable for industrial use and large-scale power production – as part of broader efforts to expand renewables in coastal regions, boost the maritime economy and drive industrial innovation. Located in Qingdao, Shandong province, the floating solar station builds upon another offshore photovoltaic power generation project launched in late May. Together, they form the largest initiative of its kind by Sinopec,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316987/solar-energy-milestone-china-taps-ocean-breakthrough-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316987/solar-energy-milestone-china-taps-ocean-breakthrough-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 08:00:13 +0000 June Xia,Mandy Zuo June Xia,Mandy Zuo China’s aviation authorities have imposed an emergency ban on air passengers’ carrying substandard power banks, catching many travellers off guard. The safety precaution, which went into effect on June 28, two days after being announced by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), has triggered questions and concerns. Here are six points that people travelling to and within China need to know – from which power banks are still allowed, to what can be done with ineligible ones at the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316836/chinas-power-bank-crackdown-6-preflight-answers-wary-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316836/chinas-power-bank-crackdown-6-preflight-answers-wary-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:00:30 +0000 Mandy Zuo,June Xia Mandy Zuo,June Xia In addressing the price wars plaguing many industries in China, the country’s top leadership has resorted to a phrase rarely seen at a high-level meeting, saying that enterprises’ “disorderly low-price competition” needs to be regulated. Speaking at a top-level economic meeting on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping used that phrase to explicitly characterise the much-debated phenomenon, in stark contrast to officials who have, since late last year, favoured the vaguer term “involutionary competition”... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316616/chinas-top-leadership-takes-aim-disorderly-low-price-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316616/chinas-top-leadership-takes-aim-disorderly-low-price-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:00:15 +0000 June Xia June Xia She seldom visits the same suburban cafe twice. Asa Jin has her cuppa, takes in the view, snaps her share of pictures for social, and then considers which among the rising number of coffee shops she will visit next. “Most rural cafes are leaning into a trendy, influencer-driven vibe, but it’s not sustainable,” said the 37-year-old freelancer from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, explaining that many shops try to lure customers with “unique natural settings” – perfect for coffee-sipping social media... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316395/chinas-coffee-lovers-skip-urban-grind-rural-buzz-cafe-craze-sustainable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316395/chinas-coffee-lovers-skip-urban-grind-rural-buzz-cafe-craze-sustainable?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:11 +0000 June Xia June Xia China plans to use new mining technology and also dig deeper to increase gold production over the next three years as demand for the precious metal soars amid rising geopolitical tensions. In the 2025-2027 gold industry development action plan released on Monday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and eight other agencies pledged to increase China’s gold reserves by 5 to 10 per cent and also raise gold output by more than 5 per cent. “Gold is a strategic mineral resource with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315747/how-deep-will-china-go-it-aims-boost-gold-production-more-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315747/how-deep-will-china-go-it-aims-boost-gold-production-more-5?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:00:08 +0000 June Xia June Xia Big city lights? Too dull, say bright-eyed Chinese travellers who prefer to dream of far-flung locales – areas more likely to drain their life alongside their bank account. And oh, what a thrill. Chinese tourists eyeing overseas excursions are increasingly turning their gaze to remote areas – generally away from urban settings and run-of-the-mill tourist destinations that comprise the photo posts of more traditional travellers, and towards off-the-beaten-path locations that, in many cases, wowed... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315249/chinas-thrill-seekers-splash-out-adventure-tourism-social-media-lures-them-grid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315249/chinas-thrill-seekers-splash-out-adventure-tourism-social-media-lures-them-grid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 03:00:11 +0000 June Xia June Xia China’s youth unemployment rate fell for the third consecutive month in May, but remained higher than at the same point last year, suggesting the job market is still under intense pressure ahead of a critical graduation season. The youth jobless rate, which covers those aged 16 to 24 living in urban areas, excluding students, stood at 14.9 per cent last month, down from 15.8 per cent the previous month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Wednesday. But the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315028/chinas-youth-unemployment-stays-stubbornly-high-ahead-crunch-summer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3315028/chinas-youth-unemployment-stays-stubbornly-high-ahead-crunch-summer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:00:15 +0000 June Xia June Xia Chinese agricultural scientists have turned 40 hectares (99 acres) of salty soil in Xinjiang into fertile land capable of supporting multiple crops – part of a national strategy to bolster food security by transforming vast swathes of non-arable terrain into farms. The breakthrough followed seven years of effort in the Uygur autonomous region’s Shihezi, led by a research team from a local university, the state-owned People’s Daily reported. The previously degraded soil now sustains wheat,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314339/chinas-xinjiang-turns-salt-desert-fertile-farmland-food-security-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314339/chinas-xinjiang-turns-salt-desert-fertile-farmland-food-security-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:17 +0000 June Xia June Xia After the United States imposed so-called reciprocal tariffs on imports from China in April, Beijing took steps to help Chinese exporters sell their products domestically. In addition to the staging of product promotion events across the country and the offering of fiscal and financial incentives, Beijing also encouraged the increased use of letters of credit (L/Cs) to help such businesses switch focus to the domestic market. What is a domestic letter of credit? A letter of credit, also known as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314271/how-are-letters-credit-helping-chinese-exporters-pivot-home-market-amid-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314271/how-are-letters-credit-helping-chinese-exporters-pivot-home-market-amid-trade-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 06:00:17 +0000