https://www.scmp.com/rss/521776/feed Natixis: A leading global financial institution headquartered in Paris, France, specialising in corporate and investment banking, asset and wealth management, insurance, and payments. As part of Groupe BPCE, France’s second-largest banking group, Natixis serves corporations, financial institutions, and institutional investors worldwide. Renowned for its expertise in green and sustainable finance, it actively supports clients’ energy transition and sustainable growth strategies. Gary Ng is an... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Almost 80 per cent of the Chinese companies operating in the European Union plan to expand their investment there, even though most complain about policy uncertainty, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) and the China Economic Information Service. The result stands in sharp contrast to similar reports published by the European Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) – despite companies from both sides complaining about obstacles such as... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347861/amid-struggles-home-80-chinese-companies-eu-plan-more-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347861/amid-struggles-home-80-chinese-companies-eu-plan-more-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:02:48 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As the Iran war fuels global fears of stagflation, a debate is intensifying over whether the crisis poses an immediate risk to China’s sources of external demand or a strategic opening for its exporters. Mirroring the supply chain upheavals of the pandemic era, the crisis has prompted new questions about whether China will be able to leverage its industrial base and supply-side resilience if a prolonged conflict further fractures global supply chains. “China’s economy looks strong on the surface... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347606/iran-conflict-prompts-questions-about-chinas-export-power-amid-fractured-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347606/iran-conflict-prompts-questions-about-chinas-export-power-amid-fractured-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The United States’ rapidly mounting sovereign debt pile – which reached an unprecedented US$39 trillion on Wednesday – is becoming “alarmingly unsustainable” and a potential threat to the global economy, with spending likely to spiral even further amid the Iran war, analysts said. It remains unclear whether US President Donald Trump has the political will to rein in borrowing, despite promising to eliminate the national debt while campaigning for office in 2016, and other countries including... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347192/us-federal-debt-becoming-alarmingly-unsustainable-iran-war-fuels-spending-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347192/us-federal-debt-becoming-alarmingly-unsustainable-iran-war-fuels-spending-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham The European Union has been urged to weaponise its giant market to draw concessions from China, whose economic fragility is making it increasingly reliant on rich export markets. A new report from the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), the EU’s official think tank, said “China’s weakness creates opportunities” for the bloc to use its chokepoints and leverage to bring Beijing to the negotiating table in a credible way. With the United States rapidly narrowing for Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345862/weaponise-eu-market-against-china-or-face-manufacturing-collapse-official-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345862/weaponise-eu-market-against-china-or-face-manufacturing-collapse-official-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:30:08 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee China has for the first time included commercial health insurance in its 2026 government work report, signalling efforts to strengthen the country’s social safety net and support the growth of innovative drugs and medical devices. On Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the government would “work faster to develop commercial health insurance” and promote the “high-quality development of innovative drugs and medical devices” to better meet people’s diverse needs. Behind the unusual emphasis... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345717/china-pursue-commercial-health-insurance-ease-public-strain-support-drug-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3345717/china-pursue-commercial-health-insurance-ease-public-strain-support-drug-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:12:46 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Rising energy costs driven by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions may provide some relief to China’s years-long struggle with weak prices, but analysts warn that a spike in oil prices could spark a scenario in which stagnant economic growth collides with rising inflation, hindering the nation’s economic recovery. “Rising oil prices [could] lead to stagflation, which helps increase the inflation rate but also leads to a decline in economic growth and an increase in unemployment,” said Su Jian,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345420/mideast-oil-crisis-revives-stagflation-spectre-haunting-chinas-deflation-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345420/mideast-oil-crisis-revives-stagflation-spectre-haunting-chinas-deflation-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:00:40 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Hong Kong’s government-backed investment fund is being redeployed to support the city’s sluggish commercial property sector, signaling authorities’ growing willingness to use public funds as a policy tool to steady office valuations and align real estate investment with the city’s industrial ambitions. Attracting foreign institutions, however, might prove challenging. The city’s elevated vacancy rates, looming new completions and uncertain rental recovery have kept global funds on the sidelines,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345175/hong-kongs-strategy-hkic-prop-citys-office-market-seen-challenging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3345175/hong-kongs-strategy-hkic-prop-citys-office-market-seen-challenging?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Ambrose Li,Kevin Li Ambrose Li,Kevin Li Adverse economic impacts from the US-Israel strikes on Iran unfolded on Monday, disrupting supply chains, driving up oil prices and leaving many Middle East business leaders at a major trade fair in Hong Kong in an awkward position. As the strikes entered a third day, oil prices surged by 13 per cent – the biggest rise in four years – briefly climbing above US$80 a barrel. Freight costs also jumped due to risks of potential damage to vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345130/hong-kong-exporters-and-exhibitors-face-fallout-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345130/hong-kong-exporters-and-exhibitors-face-fallout-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:57:49 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing A combination of a strong initial public offering (IPO) market and bond sales has helped put Hong Kong’s financial health back in the black sooner than expected, with analysts expecting a robust pipeline of listings to be key to sustaining the city’s surplus. In his budget speech on Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the city was previously expected to record a HK$67 billion deficit for the 2025-26 financial year, which ends on March 31, but emerged with an estimated HK$2.9... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3344776/hong-kong-records-hk29-billion-consolidated-surplus-2025-26-heres-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3344776/hong-kong-records-hk29-billion-consolidated-surplus-2025-26-heres-how?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:01:20 +0000 Olga Wong Olga Wong Hong Kong’s finance chief on Wednesday lived up to his credentials as a chartered accountant when he produced a surprisingly robust budget, flush with surpluses and full of initiatives to be funded through substantial means at his disposal. One significant initiative is a rare move to dip into the Exchange Fund, the government’s main investment arm and de facto sovereign wealth fund, traditionally used to defend the currency peg to the US dollar, to finance infrastructure development. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3344650/budget-reveal-government-turns-matchmaker-stronger-hand-shaping-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3344650/budget-reveal-government-turns-matchmaker-stronger-hand-shaping-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee South Korean retail investors, known for their aggressive trading style, are ramping up exposure to Chinese artificial intelligence-related stocks, even as their home market ranks among the world’s top performers. Data from SEIBro, a portal operated by the Korea Securities Depository, showed that South Korean retail investors bought US$507 million worth of Hong Kong-listed shares and US$154 million of mainland-listed shares between January 2 and Monday. The data showed that total purchases had... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3344586/south-korean-investors-pour-millions-minimax-other-chinese-ai-and-chip-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3344586/south-korean-investors-pour-millions-minimax-other-chinese-ai-and-chip-stocks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu When Wilson Chan Fung-cheung joined Hong Kong’s banking industry as a foreign-exchange trader more than four decades ago, his work involved US dollars, UK pounds, Japanese yen and various European and Asian currencies – but not Chinese yuan. “Back then, there was no yuan trading at all as, in fact, the internationalisation of the yuan only started in 2009,” recalled Chan, who has worked for various Chinese banks. Beijing’s decision that year to promote its currency for wider use in trade,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3344464/why-chinas-path-financial-superpower-status-could-begin-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3344464/why-chinas-path-financial-superpower-status-could-begin-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China will accelerate investment in alternative nickel supply sources and strengthen its role across the metal’s wider supply chain, analysts said, after the United States finalised a deal with Indonesia on Thursday that will give America unrestricted access to the country’s industrial commodities. While the US Supreme Court’s tariff ruling last week could add some uncertainty to US-Indonesia trade, the agreement has the potential to reshape the global supply chain for nickel – a metal used to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3344337/us-indonesia-deal-threatens-chinas-entrenched-position-nickel-market-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee China and South Korea have had a turbulent relationship over the past few years as they compete across a range of hi-tech industries. But the two countries now appear to be bonding over a shared challenge: their rapidly ageing societies. The issue has featured on the agenda of several meetings between President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in recent months, with the leaders pledging to work together to deal with the economic changes being wrought by their nations’ low... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343740/china-and-south-korea-find-new-shared-bond-their-rapidly-ageing-societies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343740/china-and-south-korea-find-new-shared-bond-their-rapidly-ageing-societies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma For decades, the US dollar has served as the currency of global reserve, the de facto anchor for the vast majority of international exchanges. Consequently, United States government debt – most commonly in the form of Treasury assets such as bonds, notes and bills – has long been regarded as a safe haven by investors, prized for its unmatched liquidity and deep market penetration. That faith has remained strong in the past, even amid global financial crises. But the events of recent weeks... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341391/age-trump-are-safe-haven-us-assets-not-so-safe-any-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341391/age-trump-are-safe-haven-us-assets-not-so-safe-any-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 22:00:13 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu As political and business leaders gather in the Swiss town of Davos for this year’s World Economic Forum, scheduled to begin on Monday, analysts expect China to continue positioning itself as a reliable trade partner and supporter of multilateralism – stances drawing an implicit contrast with the United States under President Donald Trump. This year’s meeting, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue”, will take place amid heightened global tensions in the wake of several controversial actions by Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340298/china-readies-davos-sales-pitch-us-grants-beijing-window-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3340298/china-readies-davos-sales-pitch-us-grants-beijing-window-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Beijing is leveraging a distracted Washington to ratchet up pressure on Tokyo, launching an anti-dumping investigation into a key semiconductor chemical while the United States is preoccupied with Venezuela, according to analysts. China made moves targeting Japan for two consecutive days. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce banned exports of “dual-use” products to end users linked to the Japanese military. And on Wednesday, it said the anti-dumping investigation into dichlorosilane would last... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339212/us-focused-venezuela-china-has-window-pressure-japan-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3339212/us-focused-venezuela-china-has-window-pressure-japan-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Sylvie Zhuang Seong Hyeon Choi,Sylvie Zhuang US President Donald Trump’s proposal to boost next year’s military budget to US$1.5 trillion aims to blunt China’s global influence, a move analysts said could push Beijing to speed up its own military build-up with “greater urgency”. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that the US military budget for the 2027 financial year should be raised in the face of “very troubled and dangerous times”. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339229/trump-wants-us15-trillion-dream-military-will-china-boost-spending-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339229/trump-wants-us15-trillion-dream-military-will-china-boost-spending-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:11:08 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Washington’s abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last week has been characterised by many – including US President Donald Trump – as an attempt to gain control over the South American nation’s oil industry. But analysts said the crisis was also about Washington’s need to secure access to critical minerals – and that other resource-rich nations should be on guard. In addition to its vast oil reserves, Venezuela has significant deposits of an array of precious metals and other valuable... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338894/behind-venezuela-crisis-us-china-tussle-over-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338894/behind-venezuela-crisis-us-china-tussle-over-critical-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:00:29 +0000 Ji Siqi,Shi Jiangtao,Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings Ji Siqi,Shi Jiangtao,Kandy Wong,Ralph Jennings As a diplomatic row sees Japanese company executives put visits to China on hold, Beijing is preparing to roll out the red carpet for South Korean business leaders accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit starting Sunday. The contrasting receptions highlight how geopolitics is reshaping corporate ties in East Asia. Analysts expect continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo in 2026 to accelerate Japanese efforts to de-risk from the Chinese market. Conversely, Beijing’s warming... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338540/chinas-diplomatic-divide-red-carpet-south-korea-cold-shoulder-japanese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338540/chinas-diplomatic-divide-red-carpet-south-korea-cold-shoulder-japanese-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China’s move to restrict silver exports is set to keep the metal in the spotlight, with analysts warning of a supply crunch following weeks of volatile price swings. Effective Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce will implement a two-year special government licence for exports of silver, along with tungsten and antimony. While Beijing says the measure is aimed at protecting resources and the environment, market watchers see it as a signal that supply to overseas markets will be further... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338301/chinas-january-1-silver-curbs-deepen-global-crunch-analysts-warn-amid-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3338301/chinas-january-1-silver-curbs-deepen-global-crunch-analysts-warn-amid-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Recent data on China’s external accounts presents a conundrum: while the country’s trade surplus has broken records, surpassing the US$1 trillion benchmark in the first 11 months of the year, growth in its official foreign exchange reserves has lagged. This seeming paradox prompts a question – where did the money go? Analysts said the gap reflects how much of the surplus has flowed back overseas through asset investment, largely made by private-sector players, leaving China’s external accounts... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338034/china-has-logged-us1-trillion-trade-surplus-where-all-money-going?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3338034/china-has-logged-us1-trillion-trade-surplus-where-all-money-going?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 13:00:10 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Sylvie Zhuang Zhao Ziwen,Sylvie Zhuang TikTok may have dodged a US ban but unresolved questions about its algorithm could remain a source of tension in the broader US-China relationship, according to analysts. ByteDance, the parent company of the social media site, signed a binding agreement this week to divest its US entity into a joint venture controlled by a consortium of American investors, ending years of legal and political uncertainties. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in an internal memo on Thursday that the deal effectively... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337118/tiktok-seals-us-deal-core-algorithm-could-still-rattle-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337118/tiktok-seals-us-deal-core-algorithm-could-still-rattle-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:00:18 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee,Ralph Jennings Yeon Woo Lee,Ralph Jennings As Chinese tourists pull back from visiting Japan amid a diplomatic row, a slumping won is positioning South Korea as the new bargain destination for mainland travellers, analysts said. The Korean won has become Asia’s worst-performing currency in the second half of the year, weighed down by an interest rate gap with the United States and sustained equity outflows to the US market. In October, South Korea’s real effective exchange rate plunged to a 16-year low – falling even further than it did... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336644/why-south-korea-becoming-chinas-new-bargain-travel-hotspot-amid-japan-spat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3336644/why-south-korea-becoming-chinas-new-bargain-travel-hotspot-amid-japan-spat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham With the end of the year approaching, the European Commission is rapidly ramping up its de-risking efforts through a flurry of broadsides against Chinese firms – even as the bloc’s most powerful member states appear to be moving in different directions on China. Foreign subsidy regulation probes were launched against online retailer Temu and Nuctech, a maker of airport scanning equipment, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. E-commerce giant Temu saw its Dublin headquarters raided by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336127/brussels-ramps-china-de-risking-while-france-and-germany-pull-further-apart?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:56:21 +0000 Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma More than six decades after British historian AJP Taylor termed war the “mother of invention”, economies around the world appear to be ramping up their military spending, at least in part, to reinvigorate industrial production. Taylor was referring to the genesis of the tank, the aeroplane and poison gas in World War I, and that of radar, the jet engine and the atomic bomb in World War II. More modern examples, such as satellite-based navigation systems and the internet, were the products of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335612/us-eu-and-japan-boost-defence-spending-stimulus-their-true-intention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335612/us-eu-and-japan-boost-defence-spending-stimulus-their-true-intention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 22:00:16 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma With reported gold sales by Russia’s central bank, debate has emerged over whether this could mark the start of a broader retreat in the precious metal – a discussion sharpened by a Chinese celebrity hedge fund manager’s remarks amid recent price volatility. On Saturday, Li Bei, founder of Shanghai Banxia Investment Management Centre, said “the best days for gold are over” and “signs of a new wave of central-bank gold selling are emerging,” in a post on the company’s official WeChat... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334752/will-russias-gold-sale-prompt-retreat-hedge-fund-manager-spurs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3334752/will-russias-gold-sale-prompt-retreat-hedge-fund-manager-spurs-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:30:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The first test for a much-celebrated US–China trade truce is looming. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hopes to finalise a rare earth deal by next week’s Thanksgiving holiday, but experts say a breakthrough is unlikely as the two sides maintain sharply different narratives of what was discussed and agreed on key issues. From rare earths to soybeans, three weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, were photographed smiling and shaking hands after a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333764/us-china-fragile-truce-divergent-accounts-and-thanksgiving-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3333764/us-china-fragile-truce-divergent-accounts-and-thanksgiving-test?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:52:07 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Xiaofei Xu Ralph Jennings,Xiaofei Xu Chinese firms must be extra vigilant in Europe as policymakers there weigh tougher measures against a pair of iconic hi-tech suppliers while France has threatened to suspend fast-fashion retailer Shein, analysts say, as the moves come after a seizure of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia. The European Commission’s reported plan to force member states to phase out Huawei Technologies and ZTE gear from telecoms networks could mark a fresh regulatory hurdle while serving as a warning to roughly 3,000... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332680/eu-scrutiny-huawei-zte-and-shein-raises-stakes-chinese-firms-compliance-maze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3332680/eu-scrutiny-huawei-zte-and-shein-raises-stakes-chinese-firms-compliance-maze?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:00:13 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu The saga of Netherlands-based and Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, caught up in broader geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, is rekindling a debate about foreign investment in Europe and is likely to lead to further scrutiny by EU countries on future Chinese investments in the bloc, according to analysts. After The Hague seized control of Nexperia from its Chinese owners on September 30, citing national security concerns and invoking a law that had been sitting idle since... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331611/nexperia-fallout-dutch-chinese-chip-debacle-reignites-eu-debate-over-foreign-investments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331611/nexperia-fallout-dutch-chinese-chip-debacle-reignites-eu-debate-over-foreign-investments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:17:35 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi As Beijing continues advocating for deeper regional economic cooperation in East Asia amid ongoing tensions with Washington – including by working towards a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan and South Korea – analysts say that making substantial progress remains challenging, given the existing trade framework and conflicting interests. In a meeting with South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan on Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331365/beijing-pushes-china-japan-south-korea-trade-pact-amid-us-tensions-hurdles-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3331365/beijing-pushes-china-japan-south-korea-trade-pact-amid-us-tensions-hurdles-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma Ji Siqi,Sylvia Ma As more countries begin formulating contingency plans for their stocks of rare earth elements, analysts said China’s tightening control over its near-monopoly status in the supply and refining capacity of the minerals – an action taken as part of Beijing’s broader trade conflict with the US – could face challenges in enforcement. Last week, China announced a sweeping expansion of its export control regime as it relates to rare earth elements – raw materials that are crucial components in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329439/chinas-rare-earth-export-controls-have-gone-global-can-it-enforce-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329439/chinas-rare-earth-export-controls-have-gone-global-can-it-enforce-them?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 12:00:13 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings A tentative deal for the management of Chinese short video app TikTok in the United States is facing new pressure after last week’s flare-up in trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, with analysts mixed in their assessment of the pact’s chances for survival. “It’s probably quite hard to see that [deal] happening under such an atmosphere,” said Gary Ng, senior Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis. “I don’t know whether it will collapse or go through … The biggest downside is the US could... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329137/us-china-tensions-back-upswing-tiktok-deal-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329137/us-china-tensions-back-upswing-tiktok-deal-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu 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 how foreign investors are likely to be affected. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan and more premium content, click here. Sun... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328532/what-chinas-next-5-year-plan-means-foreign-investors-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328532/what-chinas-next-5-year-plan-means-foreign-investors-quantity-quality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 22:00:19 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi With Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, economists warn her policies may have “mixed” results: expansionary measures that spur growth but exacerbate fiscal strain, and coalition partners who temper a more hawkish stance on China amid a push for higher military spending. The 64-year-old conservative was elected leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday, paving the way for her to become the next prime minister as head of a coalition government –... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328021/mixed-bag-how-japans-pm-waiting-may-fuel-growth-defence-and-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3328021/mixed-bag-how-japans-pm-waiting-may-fuel-growth-defence-and-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong While the domestic consequences of this week’s shutdown of the United States federal government are clear, analysts said the implications for China may take longer to surface and could be more mixed, as trade talks appear likely to continue between the two countries despite the stalemate in Washington. “We don’t expect the immediate impact on China to be too pronounced,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING Bank. “One thing to watch in the event of a lengthy shutdown could be... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327637/us-government-frozen-after-shutdown-china-talks-still-motion-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3327637/us-government-frozen-after-shutdown-china-talks-still-motion-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma As China continues to cut its US Treasury holdings – reaching a near 17-year low in July as concerns over assets backed by the US dollar mount – analysts said the country’s central bank could be pivoting to European assets and perennial safe haven gold as more reliable investments. Beijing’s stockpile dropped to US$730.7 billion in July, down US$25.7 billion from June, according to data released by the US Treasury Department on Thursday. July’s figure was the lowest reported since January 2009,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326123/chinas-us-treasury-holdings-are-record-lows-where-investment-going?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3326123/chinas-us-treasury-holdings-are-record-lows-where-investment-going?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:10:06 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Brian Rhoads,Neil Denslow Hong Kong cut interest rates for the first time this year, potentially boosting the city’s economy, stock market and property sector. The city’s base rate hit the lowest since December 2022 after the 25 basis point reduction to 4.5 per cent. The US Federal Reserve earlier lowered its target rate by the same amount. Hong Kong’s de facto central bank follows the Fed in setting rates because of the city’s currency peg to the US dollar. Fed policymakers also signalled the potential for two more cuts... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3325994/fed-rate-cut-boosts-hong-kong-chiefs-economy-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3325994/fed-rate-cut-boosts-hong-kong-chiefs-economy-push?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:15:39 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Despite its vague wording, the new China-US framework deal on popular video-sharing app TikTok represents an important step in advancing bilateral talks and keeping ties warm ahead of any future meetings between the world’s two largest economies, according to analysts. And they added that Beijing could potentially try to leverage the TikTok deal by seeking tariff cuts or relief from hi-tech export controls. Officials from both powers confirmed after negotiations in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325752/peeling-us-china-tiktok-deal-analysts-see-layers-leverage-tariffs-and-soybeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3325752/peeling-us-china-tiktok-deal-analysts-see-layers-leverage-tariffs-and-soybeans?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham For almost a year, European Union officials have been dangling the carrot of joint work on China policy in front of US President Donald Trump in an effort to keep him engaged in supporting Ukraine. For months, their overtures were ignored. Now that the US leader has tuned in – but only on the condition of maximum tariffs – Europe finds itself in a bind. On Wednesday evening, ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states were briefed by the bloc’s sanctions envoy, David O’Sullivan, on his trip to... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3325250/eu-wins-trumps-focus-china-can-it-deliver-impossible-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3325250/eu-wins-trumps-focus-china-can-it-deliver-impossible-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:10:13 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s consumer prices slipped back into decline in August, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures, while a narrower drop in factory-gate prices suggested Beijing’s “anti-involution” campaign may be starting to take hold. The national consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, fell 0.4 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. The reading was worse than market expectations of a 0.2 per cent drop in a poll... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324962/chinese-consumer-prices-slip-back-decline-amid-deflationary-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3324962/chinese-consumer-prices-slip-back-decline-amid-deflationary-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 01:38:00 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s anti-corruption campaign in the financial sector may not immediately boost confidence given the prevailing uncertainties, an analyst has warned. However, it is believed that over time the drive could put the country on a cleaner governance path and help to attract overseas investors. Beijing’s intensified anti-corruption drive has seen high-profile figures like Yi Huiman, the former head of China’s securities watchdog, placed under investigation. He is being investigated by the Communist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324613/chinas-financial-anti-corruption-drive-will-boost-confidence-long-term-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324613/chinas-financial-anti-corruption-drive-will-boost-confidence-long-term-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 14:00:09 +0000 SCMP SCMP The US-China chip war has reached new heights as increased US export control measures have led to intensified efforts from China to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency. Huawei Technologies, for instance, on Thursday touted what it called the “world’s most powerful” computing cluster achieved without Nvidia’s advanced chips. In the latest China Future Tech webinar, Natixis director and senior economist for Asia Pacific, Gary Ng, joined South China Morning Post technology editor Zhou Xin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/semiconductors/article/3324258/china-future-tech-webinar-how-us-tactics-could-boost-chinas-chip-self-sufficiency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-future-tech/semiconductors/article/3324258/china-future-tech-webinar-how-us-tactics-could-boost-chinas-chip-self-sufficiency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 01:38:53 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li The Chinese yuan is set to continue making gains against the US dollar over the coming months, as China’s central bank sets strong daily reference rates for the currency and traders bet on possible US interest rate cuts, analysts said. The People’s Bank of China set its strongest onshore yuan daily reference rate of the year on Friday, at 7.1030 per US dollar, with the yuan’s fixing rate gaining 0.65 per cent against the dollar over the month of August. On Monday, the central bank set the daily... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323909/chinas-yuan-set-more-gains-against-us-dollar-fed-sends-dovish-signals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323909/chinas-yuan-set-more-gains-against-us-dollar-fed-sends-dovish-signals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:37:35 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu US President Donald Trump has dragged China into his battle against European taxes and regulations targeting American technology giants, accusing Europe of singling out US firms and giving Chinese tech companies “a complete pass”. The claim was quickly rejected by the Chinese business community, with one executive dismissing Trump’s post as “political rhetoric” that does not “align with the reality”, while analysts said the attack was likely part of Trump’s plan to pressure Europe into easing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323343/chinese-firms-slam-trumps-claim-europe-gives-them-complete-pass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323343/chinese-firms-slam-trumps-claim-europe-gives-them-complete-pass?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:19 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China’s central bank has set the yuan’s daily reference rate against the US dollar at the strongest level in more than nine months, as bets on rate cuts by the Federal Reserve are growing following a dovish pivot by its chair, Jerome Powell. On Monday, the People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate – also known as the daily fixing rate – at 7.1161 per US dollar, its strongest showing since early November. Compared with 7.1321 in the previous release, Monday’s fixing also marked the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323017/chinas-yuan-fixing-rate-hits-9-month-high-after-dovish-pivot-us-fed-chair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3323017/chinas-yuan-fixing-rate-hits-9-month-high-after-dovish-pivot-us-fed-chair?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 04:14:28 +0000 Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong Ralph Jennings,Kandy Wong While the deployment of US warships near the coast of Venezuela is intended to heap pressure on the government and limit its already strained capacity for oil shipments, the action would probably serve to bolster China’s extensive economic ties with the South American country, analysts said. Three destroyers and an amphibious squadron with about 4,000 US Marines were dispatched to the Caribbean Sea close to Venezuelan waters, the White House said this week, in an act they said was intended to... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322853/us-show-force-could-move-venezuela-closer-china-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3322853/us-show-force-could-move-venezuela-closer-china-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:00:09 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Simon Leung, an experienced event coordinator in the social work sector, has been unemployed for nearly 18 months and said he would settle for a job as a security guard or a mooncake production assistant in Hong Kong. The jobseeker, who holds a civil engineering degree from Queen’s University in Canada, has been surviving as a gig worker after working for a non-governmental organisation. “As the government’s budget for NGOs was cut by 7 per cent, my contract was not renewed when the financial... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3322571/hong-kong-jobless-rate-could-persist-uncertain-economy-ai-reshape-market-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3322571/hong-kong-jobless-rate-could-persist-uncertain-economy-ai-reshape-market-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 03:00:13 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma US President Donald Trump’s nomination of his top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve Board could strengthen the White House’s influence over the central bank and deepen concerns over its independence, analysts said. Stephen Miran, chairman of the Trump administration’s Council of Economic Advisers and an architect of its tariff policy, will be nominated to temporarily fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, the US president announced Thursday on social... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321241/why-trumps-federal-reserve-pick-raising-alarm-over-central-banks-independence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3321241/why-trumps-federal-reserve-pick-raising-alarm-over-central-banks-independence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 13:00:16 +0000 Zhao Ziwen,Dewey Sim Zhao Ziwen,Dewey Sim US plans to impose 100 per cent of tariffs on imported chips are a heavy blow to Southeast Asia’s chip industry and could push the region closer to China, according to observers. US President Donald Trump announced the duties on semiconductors and chips on Wednesday, saying that only companies that were “building in the United States” were exempt. It is unclear just how much of a US manufacturing presence companies would need to have to qualify for tariff exemptions or reductions, or whether the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321133/will-trumps-chip-tariffs-tilt-balance-china-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3321133/will-trumps-chip-tariffs-tilt-balance-china-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 02:00:11 +0000