https://www.scmp.com/rss/521470/feed Peng Peng is the Executive Chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform, a prominent think tank affiliated with the provincial government in Guangzhou. He is a respected voice on China’s economic landscape, frequently commenting on national and regional policies. His expertise encompasses domestic demand, trade dynamics and the vital role of the private sector in economic growth. Peng has highlighted unstable employment and incomes as significant factors hindering demand. He also provides... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang As the new Communist Party chief of China’s southern manufacturing hub Shenzhen, Jin Lei is facing his first major test as the city prepares to host the Apec leaders’ summit in November. Beijing is seeking more cooperation with the bloc in areas like artificial intelligence, and the key regional forum is an opportunity to show the potential in tech-driven Shenzhen, where Jin took the helm last month. In recent weeks, the 56-year-old economist and former Sichuan official has been focused on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349869/shenzhens-new-party-boss-has-taken-wheel-can-he-deliver-ahead-apec?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3349869/shenzhens-new-party-boss-has-taken-wheel-can-he-deliver-ahead-apec?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the country with the world’s largest cohort of billionaires, China is no stranger to wealthy elites engaging in luxurious leisure activities, but one common pastime in the West does not seem to have attracted a commensurate level of interest across the Pacific – yachting. While Chinese e-commerce billionaire Richard Liu recently announced a multibillion-dollar investment in a new yacht company, regulatory hurdles and infrastructure gaps have kept China’s wealthiest individuals from fully... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346817/chinas-high-end-yacht-owners-say-industry-growth-stifled-structural-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346817/chinas-high-end-yacht-owners-say-industry-growth-stifled-structural-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As China undergoes a sweeping economic transition, its regions are also in the process of embracing change. The powerhouses of yesteryear must adapt or risk falling behind, as traditional industries become less reliable growth drivers and new sectors take prominence. In this series, we explore three representative areas of the country as they attempt to navigate this rapidly changing environment. After Joyce Wu moved from Hainan province to Hong Kong in 2013, she marvelled for years at the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347581/chinas-hainan-wants-more-beach-tourism-will-new-customs-rules-cause-sea-change?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s Lunar New Year box office slid to its weakest level since 2020, weighed down by the absence of major breakout films, despite the country leading global single-market takings so far this year. Cinemas generated 5.75 billion yuan (US$831 million) over the nine-day holiday that ended on Monday, according to box-office tracker Dengta Data – a drop of nearly 40 per cent from last year’s record 9.51 billion yuan haul. The result marked the lowest Lunar New Year takings since 2020, when... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344458/chinas-lunar-new-year-box-office-hits-6-year-low-releases-fall-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344458/chinas-lunar-new-year-box-office-hits-6-year-low-releases-fall-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:30:50 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China is tightening approvals for intercity railways and urban metro projects – long-standing pillars of fixed-asset investment – as policymakers pay closer attention to debt risks while shifting the growth model towards consumption. The move comes as President Xi Jinping has specifically flagged operational strains at some high-speed rail stations and subway lines – a sign that the old growth driver may be further curtailed in the coming years. According to an online statement on Sunday by the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341412/china-tightens-rail-approvals-xi-warns-overbuilding-waste-and-operational-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3341412/china-tightens-rail-approvals-xi-warns-overbuilding-waste-and-operational-trouble?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Chinese office workers are literally switching to working on the run as the building of bonds with customers and colleagues becomes increasingly trendy. On mainland social media, increasing numbers of people say running has become their company’s work culture or helped them bond with clients. A woman based in Beijing said she first learned about the concept of “business running” two years ago when her client invited her on a 7am run. The woman, surnamed Peng, said the client was difficult, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339742/china-office-workers-run-bond-peers-clients-pressured-meet-speed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339742/china-office-workers-run-bond-peers-clients-pressured-meet-speed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:00:18 +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 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s efforts to rein in cutthroat price wars in the solar industry have had the unintended result of creating risks of alleged price rigging, highlighting what analysts describe as an “uneasy balance” between the government’s anti-involution campaign and anti-monopoly policies. The photovoltaic industry has been among the hardest hit by vicious price wars – known as involution, or neijuan-style competition – that have affected several sectors in China in recent years, squeezing companies’... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339572/chinas-solar-firms-once-deemed-too-competitive-now-face-monopoly-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3339572/chinas-solar-firms-once-deemed-too-competitive-now-face-monopoly-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:00:10 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Guangdong, China’s largest provincial economy, has vowed to double its economy by 2035 from 2022 levels, in line with the central government’s target of becoming a medium-level developed country by that year. “Looking ahead, from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party (in 2022) to 2035, Guangdong aims to achieve socialist modernisation and build a modern, new Guangdong within 13 years,” provincial authorities said in their five-year plan proposals released on Monday. “By that time,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335798/chinas-guangdong-targets-doubling-gdp-2035-despite-slowing-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335798/chinas-guangdong-targets-doubling-gdp-2035-despite-slowing-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:30:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Alice Li Mia Nurmamat,Alice Li With their 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. On a busy roadside in Riyadh, K-pop music – popular among the city’s youth – pulses from the speakers of Javis Wang’s bubble tea shop. His stores have... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335080/beyond-factories-how-chinas-trendy-brands-turn-local-success-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335080/beyond-factories-how-chinas-trendy-brands-turn-local-success-global-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:00:13 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Shanghai has launched a crackdown on online content that talks down the property market, as the sector remains mired in a prolonged downturn and two leading data providers pull back on releasing updated sales figures for China’s top developers. The Shanghai branch of the Cyberspace Administration of China said it had instructed platforms including RedNote and Bilibili – often dubbed China’s answer to Instagram and YouTube – to remove content deemed to be spreading misleading or alarmist... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335083/shanghai-launches-clampdown-property-market-doom-mongering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s state-asset watchdog has urged the country’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to act as an anchor for strategic industries, while also calling for a predictable, level playing field for private firms – a combination it said was essential for building world-class businesses. Zhang Yuzhuo, chairman of China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), outlined Beijing’s latest push to strengthen both the state and private sectors in an article published on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334750/beijing-aims-harness-state-private-sectors-build-world-class-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3334750/beijing-aims-harness-state-private-sectors-build-world-class-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 07:53:27 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Local Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to collect taxes from citizens with unreported overseas income, urging them to remain compliant as the country refines its taxation system and local governments seek to broaden revenue streams. At least six tax authorities – including city-level administrations in Shenzhen, Beijing and Xiamen, along with provincial-level bureaus in Guangdong, Fujian and Sichuan – said they had used big data analysis to identify individuals who failed to report... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332633/china-tightens-tax-scrutiny-citizens-overseas-income-amid-fiscal-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3332633/china-tightens-tax-scrutiny-citizens-overseas-income-amid-fiscal-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:00:26 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng In early November, China’s most populous province launched its biggest ever consumer subsidy programme, with the government pledging to commit 3.5 billion yuan (US$492 million) to offer discounts on a slew of products: from smartphones to snowboards. Guangdong’s scheme is the latest attempt by Chinese authorities to use consumption vouchers to boost domestic spending – a campaign that is key to China’s efforts to shore up growth and rebalance its economy amid the ongoing US trade war. But on the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331960/not-economy-guangdongs-huge-subsidy-scheme-falls-flat-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3331960/not-economy-guangdongs-huge-subsidy-scheme-falls-flat-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Stephen Chen Stephen Chen Chinese military scientists have unveiled a rare glimpse into one of the most advanced frontiers of aerospace technology: a prototype of a morphing hypersonic vehicle capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5. The missile, revealed in a published peer-reviewed paper, features a pair of retractable wings – a groundbreaking design that allows it to dynamically adapt its aerodynamic profile mid-flight. When stowed inside the fuselage, the wings minimise drag for high-speed cruising. When... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330973/pla-team-releases-photo-hypersonic-morphing-missile-can-change-shape-mach-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330973/pla-team-releases-photo-hypersonic-morphing-missile-can-change-shape-mach-5?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:00:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China’s biggest airlines have started offering free Wi-fi to passengers on a growing number of domestic flights, as they vie to win back business travellers who now often prefer to shuttle between cities on high-speed trains. China Eastern Airlines on October 11 launched a free “basic” Wi-fi service on all its widebody aircraft operating on domestic routes, said a company representative who spoke anonymously per company rules. The planes cover a total of 37 routes serving major Chinese cities... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329419/chinese-airline-offers-free-wi-fi-lure-back-travellers-high-speed-trains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329419/chinese-airline-offers-free-wi-fi-lure-back-travellers-high-speed-trains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li China’s megacities are moving in tandem to draw capital to semiconductor research and development, as Beijing accelerates its chip self-sufficiency drive in the face of tightening US export controls. Major technology hubs including Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou – and even lesser-known players like Hubei province – have all launched major chip industry investment projects in the past few months, with regions competing to emerge as powerhouses in the strategically vital sector, according to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329415/chinas-secret-weapon-chip-battle-us-intense-city-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329415/chinas-secret-weapon-chip-battle-us-intense-city-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 08:59:29 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nexperia, the European semiconductor subsidiary of Chinese electronics part maker Wingtech, is caught in the crossfire of the US-China tech war and faces an uncertain future amid restrictions from both the Chinese and Dutch governments, according to analysts. The Dutch government has taken over Nexperia, a move that provoked strong opposition from its Chinese owner Wingtech, the Chinese government and players in China’s semiconductor supply chain. They have vowed to fight for control of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3329135/nexperia-seizure-chip-supply-threatened-amid-fight-over-unit-chinas-wingtech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3329135/nexperia-seizure-chip-supply-threatened-amid-fight-over-unit-chinas-wingtech?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:00:17 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Mandy Zuo Mia Nurmamat,Mandy Zuo China is raising the maximum hiring age for some civil service positions from 35 to 43 amid rampant age discrimination in the job market that has left many older workers complaining of a “curse of 35”. The upper age limit for candidates in next year’s national-level civil service examinations has been increased to 43 for fresh master’s and doctoral graduates, according to a recruitment plan published by China’s central government and affiliated institutions on Tuesday. The age requirement for... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329072/china-bids-break-job-market-curse-35-it-raises-civil-service-age-cap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3329072/china-bids-break-job-market-curse-35-it-raises-civil-service-age-cap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 05:03:16 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s extended “super golden week” holiday saw cinemas’ box-office revenues slump compared to last year’s National Day break, but nationwide takings since the start of the year have already exceeded the total for all of 2024. According to box-office tracker Dengta Data, cinemas raked in 1.83 billion yuan (US$257 million) during the eight-day holiday, which ended on Wednesday. That was the second-lowest total since 2017 and down from the 2.1 billion yuan reported for the regular seven-day... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328370/chinas-super-golden-week-box-office-lags-annual-picture-improves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328370/chinas-super-golden-week-box-office-lags-annual-picture-improves?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and whether the private sector will receive the level of support entrepreneurs are hoping for. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328026/china-planning-5-year-honeymoon-its-private-firms-will-they-feel-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328026/china-planning-5-year-honeymoon-its-private-firms-will-they-feel-love?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:00:07 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Sylvia Ma Mia Nurmamat,Sylvia Ma Just hours before US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to settle the tumult surrounding TikTok, Beijing launched a sudden salvo in its ongoing trade war with Washington. As Trump’s order brought the fate of the popular short-video app closer to a resolution, a number of American firms were being hit with trade curbs. It not only marked the latest example of bilateral tensions flaring up during Trump’s second presidential term, analysts say it also reflected a pattern in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327266/dare-fight-how-chinas-refined-art-deal-reflects-years-dealing-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327266/dare-fight-how-chinas-refined-art-deal-reflects-years-dealing-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A Texas law restricting property ownership and leasing by Chinese citizens came into effect this week, thrusting affected residents into legal limbo with no path to relief before November. The law, which restricts real estate purchases by companies, individuals and government entities linked to countries that the federal government deems a threat to the US, took effect on September 1 after a legal challenge failed to block it in time. The legislation identifies China, Iran, North Korea and... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3324572/texas-law-curbing-chinese-property-rights-takes-effect-no-relief-sight-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3324572/texas-law-curbing-chinese-property-rights-takes-effect-no-relief-sight-months?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 17:16:03 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s central government has cautioned against a nationwide rush into artificial intelligence (AI) investment, urging careful planning while pledging stronger support to expand computing capacity and embed the technology across industries. The country’s top economic planning agency said the roll-out of China’s “AI Plus” initiative – aimed at applying cutting-edge technology across the manufacturing and service sectors – should be tailored to local conditions, urging regions to build on their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323644/china-doubles-down-ai-calls-rational-not-blind-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323644/china-doubles-down-ai-calls-rational-not-blind-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:02:36 +0000 Wency Chen,Ann Cao Wency Chen,Ann Cao On his visit to Beijing in July, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang received a rock-star welcome as he announced to Chinese state media that Washington had assured the company that export licences for its H20 chips would soon be granted. Warmly greeted by Chinese entrepreneurs and government officials, Huang – who wore a Tang suit and addressed the audience with his rusty Mandarin at the state-backed China International Supply Chain Expo – earned national fame overnight. Just two weeks after Huang... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322047/nvidias-efforts-please-both-us-and-china-get-harder-h20-becomes-bargaining-chip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322047/nvidias-efforts-please-both-us-and-china-get-harder-h20-becomes-bargaining-chip?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 04:00:20 +0000 Bochen Han Bochen Han A US federal court in Texas is dismissing a suit against a state law that would restrict property ownership and leasing by Chinese citizens, less than a month before the measure is to be implemented, according to one of the lawyers in the case. The law, signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in June and set to take effect on September 1, restricts real estate purchases by companies, individuals and government entities linked to countries that the federal government or Texas governor designates as... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3321914/court-dismiss-suit-against-texas-law-limit-chinese-property-rights-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 21:14:43 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Two cities that have served as economic pillars for China’s southern province of Guangdong appear to be losing steam relative to their peers, prompting calls for stronger action to revive businesses. Tech hub Shenzhen and manufacturing centre Guangzhou reported gross domestic product growth of 5.1 and 3.8 per cent respectively in the period from January to June, both below the national average of 5.3 per cent. The simultaneous slowdown came as uncertainty grips the global supply chain and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3320304/guangzhou-and-shenzhen-once-chinas-growth-engines-report-gdp-underperformance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3320304/guangzhou-and-shenzhen-once-chinas-growth-engines-report-gdp-underperformance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:15 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng The race for China’s provincial economy crown has turned red hot, with Jiangsu closing the gap with Guangdong through tech-driven growth. Jiangsu’s gross domestic product (GDP) now stands at 97.44 per cent of Guangdong’s, with the distance between the two provinces narrowing to 175.76 billion yuan (US$24.5 billion) in the first half of 2025 – compared to 191.62 billion yuan for the same period last year, according to data released by provincial authorities. That marks the closest margin in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3319135/chinas-jiangsu-province-narrows-gdp-gap-guangdong-tech-sectors-fuel-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3319135/chinas-jiangsu-province-narrows-gdp-gap-guangdong-tech-sectors-fuel-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:00:12 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Southern China’s Guangdong province will launch a “domestic trade version” of the Canton Fair – the country’s largest import and export fair – to help export-oriented companies tap into the domestic market amid weak external demand and rising global trade uncertainties. The initiative is a key component of a work plan released by the provincial government on Tuesday that aims to strengthen “domestic circulation” – a strategy focused on boosting China’s economic self-reliance by building a robust... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316102/chinas-guangdong-plans-domestic-version-canton-fair-trade-show-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316102/chinas-guangdong-plans-domestic-version-canton-fair-trade-show-will-it-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:00:15 +0000