https://www.scmp.com/rss/521914/feed Fitch Ratings: A prominent entity in the financial services sector, Fitch Ratings is one of the "Big Three" global credit rating agencies. Dual-headquartered in London and New York, with operations in over 30 countries, it specialises in providing credit ratings, commentary, and research. Fitch assesses the creditworthiness of financial instruments, corporations, sovereign entities, and structured finance deals, serving investors, debt issuers, and financial institutions. Its overall business... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Carol Yang Carol Yang Beyond oil, the Middle East conflict is fuelling fears of a shortage of helium – a by-product of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production that is critical for semiconductors, aerospace applications and high-end medical equipment. The medical sector is on alert, as magnetic resonance imaging machines depend on liquid helium to cool their superconducting magnets, and a supply crunch could jeopardise diagnostic services. A warning from Marc Johnson, a virologist and professor at the University of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348153/semiconductors-medical-tech-iran-war-puts-helium-users-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348153/semiconductors-medical-tech-iran-war-puts-helium-users-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen As semiconductor industries across South Korea, Taiwan and Japan contend with possible energy shortages due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, they also face differing levels of vulnerability regarding helium supply, according to Fitch Ratings. Helium, a by-product of natural gas extraction used in semiconductor manufacturing for ultra-clean cooling, leak detection and inert shielding, faces a global squeeze, with Qatar among the world’s most important suppliers. This comes as the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347005/korea-taiwan-chip-sectors-most-exposed-helium-shortage-amid-middle-east-war-fitch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347005/korea-taiwan-chip-sectors-most-exposed-helium-shortage-amid-middle-east-war-fitch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:15:01 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asian economies reliant on energy imports are bracing themselves not just for a spike in oil prices but for the possibility that the Iran war could trigger a prolonged period of energy market disruption. While markets have already priced in the initial disruption to shipping and energy infrastructure linked to the conflict, economists warn that a war lasting several weeks could leave Asian importers facing persistently higher fuel costs, widening trade deficits and slower economic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346262/asias-energy-reliant-economies-face-existential-threat-prolonged-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346262/asias-energy-reliant-economies-face-existential-threat-prolonged-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:45:45 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia could face a sharp fiscal squeeze if the US-Israel war on Iran pushes oil prices higher, analysts warn, as this risks inflating the country’s fuel subsidy bill at a time when global ratings agencies and investors are already scrutinising Jakarta’s budgetary discipline. A prolonged war could force policymakers into a difficult choice: maintain fuel subsidies and risk breaching the legal deficit ceiling – potentially unsettling investors further – or cut funding to keep the budget within... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:03:50 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Fiscal strains are forcing Chinese provinces to slash their budget-revenue expectations for 2026 due to the knock-on effects of a five-year property market slump, and analysts cite the shift as a warning sign that intense debt pressures continue to drag down the nation’s economic growth outlook. Major provinces are budgeting for 2 to 3 per cent growth this year in general public operating revenue, broadly in line with last year but below broader economic growth targets, Fitch Ratings said in a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343499/chinese-provinces-slash-revenue-outlook-analysts-warn-debt-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3343499/chinese-provinces-slash-revenue-outlook-analysts-warn-debt-control?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Allegations of irregularities in Thailand’s election – including vote-buying, uncounted ballots and tallies greater than the names on electoral lists – have gathered momentum, increasing the pressure on polling authorities to hold recounts. Protests across the country have been aimed squarely at the Election Commission (EC). While any potential recounts are unlikely to change the overall result of Sunday’s election, they threaten to slow the formation of a new government. Sunday’s vote saw... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343185/vote-recount-calls-grow-thailand-amid-claims-election-irregularities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343185/vote-recount-calls-grow-thailand-amid-claims-election-irregularities?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The number of Chinese visitors to Japan dropped sharply last month amid a diplomatic row over Taiwan. With Beijing again warning against travel to Japan during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, analysts have been closely watching to see how much damage the slowdown might inflict on the Japanese economy. Though Chinese tourism has plunged, overall visitor numbers have only dipped slightly as Japanese travel operators pivot to alternative markets. Meanwhile, Japan’s airlines have unexpectedly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341840/diplomatic-row-drags-how-japan-coping-fall-chinese-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341840/diplomatic-row-drags-how-japan-coping-fall-chinese-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:12 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu China Taiping Insurance Holdings, whose Hong Kong subsidiary faces massive claims related to the Tai Po fire in November, is expected to post strong annual profit on an investment gain, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday. Fitch Ratings, however, warned that the insurer’s earnings in 2026 could be affected by large claims related to the Wang Fuk Court inferno, the worst fire in Hong Kong in seven decades that killed 168 people, injured 79 and left an estimated 4,000... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340449/china-taiping-expects-higher-profit-tai-po-fire-could-weigh-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340449/china-taiping-expects-higher-profit-tai-po-fire-could-weigh-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:24:15 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Generative artificial intelligence service Kling AI in December recorded more than US$20 million in sales, which corresponded to an annualised revenue run rate (ARR) of US$240 million, according to Chinese operator Kuaishou Technology. That was more than double Kling AI’s US$100 million ARR in March last year, according to a statement on Tuesday from Bejing-based Kuaishou. ARR is a financial metric used to project a company’s 12-month revenue by extrapolating earnings from a shorter period, like... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339865/video-generation-boom-sees-chinas-kling-ai-post-us240-million-annual-revenue-run-rate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339865/video-generation-boom-sees-chinas-kling-ai-post-us240-million-annual-revenue-run-rate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren The slumbering property sector remains a threat to China’s economic growth because of its huge impact on the employment rate and consumer demand, according to industry officials and analysts. Amid sharp declines in property investment, housing sales and home prices last year, a further downturn of the significant sector may put more developers, workers, homebuyers and banks at risk. In the first 11 months of 2025, new properties worth 7.5 trillion yuan (US$1.07 trillion), comprising units for... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3338662/property-industry-remains-enemy-within-beijings-economic-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3338662/property-industry-remains-enemy-within-beijings-economic-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 07:30:16 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao China Vanke’s senior executives have no plans to reduce their personal shareholdings, according to the distressed mainland developer, which is seeking to extend the repayment of its onshore debt to avoid a default. The Shenzhen-listed developer on Thursday was responding to queries from investors on the exchange’s interactive platform, saying it had not received any notification from the executives regarding stake sale plans. Under the exchange’s rules, senior management were required to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337081/china-vanke-says-top-managers-have-no-plans-sell-shares-it-fights-survival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3337081/china-vanke-says-top-managers-have-no-plans-sell-shares-it-fights-survival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:15:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China’s crackdown on borrowing by local governments is forcing state-run entities in even some of the wealthiest provinces to tap costly credit from non-bank lenders, a stopgap that is increasing risk in an opaque corner of the financial system. The borrowing marks a return of China’s shadow-banking market, which is more loosely regulated than traditional lenders and had been reined in over the past few years in a bid to reduce risk. Since September, industrial investment arms and financing... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3335311/chinas-risky-shadow-banks-back-spotlight-after-beijings-debt-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3335311/chinas-risky-shadow-banks-back-spotlight-after-beijings-debt-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:57:34 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg John Lam, UBS’ head of China property research and a long-time contrarian, is retreating from his earlier bullish calls and joining his Wall Street peers in predicting that the country’s four-year real estate downturn is far from over. Lam said he expected home prices to fall for at least another two years before a recovery in mainland China’s beleaguered residential property market could take hold. One reason was that potential buyers were increasingly opting to rent properties while prices... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333929/ubs-china-property-optimist-retreats-bullish-calls-foresees-deeper-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3333929/ubs-china-property-optimist-retreats-bullish-calls-foresees-deeper-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:34:04 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Developer China Vanke reported a deeper third-quarter loss, highlighting mounting challenges as the prolonged property market downturn continues to weigh on its sales. The Shenzhen-based company posted a loss of 16.1 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) in the three months ended September 30, roughly doubling its loss from a year earlier. That brings its combined losses for the first nine months of the year to 28 billion yuan, according to a statement to the Shenzhen exchange on Thursday. Persistent... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3330983/developer-china-vanke-reports-us23-billion-loss-amid-sales-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3330983/developer-china-vanke-reports-us23-billion-loss-amid-sales-slowdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:47:44 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong Meituan expects to raise US$3 billion from a dual-currency bond offering, as the Chinese on-demand delivery giant looks to bolster its war chest to stave off the challenge from rivals led by Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com. The Beijing-based company will offer US$1.99 billion in greenback-denominated bonds and 7.08 billion yuan (US$1 billion) of notes in the local currency, according to its statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday. Meituan said it had signed an agreement with... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3330895/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-eyes-us3-billion-bond-issue-amid-intense-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3330895/chinese-delivery-giant-meituan-eyes-us3-billion-bond-issue-amid-intense-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:56:29 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li The chairman of embattled China Vanke has abruptly stepped down after being appointed early this year, in another blow to the debt-laden property developer. Vanke’s board of directors received a resignation letter from Xin Jie on Sunday. Xin applied to resign as chairman and non-executive director, and would no longer hold any position in the company after his resignation, the developer said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Monday. Xin, who has a state-linked background, was... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3328798/embattled-chinese-property-developer-vankes-chairman-steps-down-debt-pressures-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3328798/embattled-chinese-property-developer-vankes-chairman-steps-down-debt-pressures-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:37:22 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Thailand’s new prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, presented his policy platform on Monday, with quick-fix measures to ease the rising cost of living as well as promises to win back tourists, while committing to dissolving parliament in just four months to end the country’s political stalemate. The country’s third prime minister in two years faces twin challenges: economic woes exacerbated by a stubbornly strong baht and a security threat as the ceasefire with Cambodia threatens to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327234/thailands-pm-anutin-pledges-swift-action-economy-and-tourism-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327234/thailands-pm-anutin-pledges-swift-action-economy-and-tourism-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:55:50 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg HSBC Holdings has taken the unusual step of getting directly involved in pushing its Hong Kong subsidiary, Hang Seng Bank, to offload portfolios of bad real estate debt, underscoring growing concerns over the city’s struggling property sector. About two months ago, the lender directed its London-based global chief corporate credit officer and the head of its special credit unit to ensure Hang Seng started a process of selling portfolios, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326802/hsbc-asks-hang-seng-bank-clean-bad-hong-kong-property-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326802/hsbc-asks-hang-seng-bank-clean-bad-hong-kong-property-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:29:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday that he planned to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election to be held in March or early April. Anutin won a parliamentary vote in early September to become Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, after pulling his Bhumjaithai party out of a ruling coalition led by the Pheu Thai party. To win power, he secured the backing of the largest grouping in parliament, the opposition People’s Party, which put... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326739/thai-pm-anutin-charnvirakul-dissolve-parliament-end-january?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326739/thai-pm-anutin-charnvirakul-dissolve-parliament-end-january?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:30:50 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang Hong Kong-listed conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, which is in the midst of a controversial ports divestment, secured an upper medium-grade rating for its planned bond issuance on Tuesday. Fitch Ratings assigned the Li Ka-shing-controlled group’s notes an A- and flagged them as a potential catalyst for a rating upgrade, while S&P Global Ratings gave them an A. The size and pricing of the notes, to be issued through a special-purpose vehicle and guaranteed by the company, have yet to be set.... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326570/li-ka-shing-controlled-ck-hutchisons-bond-sale-gets-strong-rating-fitch-sp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3326570/li-ka-shing-controlled-ck-hutchisons-bond-sale-gets-strong-rating-fitch-sp?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:25:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France into fresh uncertainty. The French presidency said in a statement that Macron “took note” of the outcome and said Macron would name a new premier “in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3324801/french-pm-bayrou-loses-confidence-vote-toppling-his-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3324801/french-pm-bayrou-loses-confidence-vote-toppling-his-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:44:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US employers added just 22,000 jobs last month as the labour market continued to cool under uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The Labor Department said on Friday that hiring decelerated from 79,000 in July and came in below the roughly 80,000 economists had expected for August. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3 per cent, also worse than expected and the highest level since 2021, the Labor Department reported on Friday. When the department put out a disappointing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324561/hiring-stalls-us-firms-hold-back-expansion-amid-economic-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3324561/hiring-stalls-us-firms-hold-back-expansion-amid-economic-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:40:45 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Shanghai, the commercial and financial hub of mainland China, has further relaxed its home purchase policy, following Beijing’s lead to rejuvenate the nation’s sluggish property market. Local residents could now own an unlimited number of flats outside the city’s outer ring road, an area where two-thirds of Shanghai’s housing is located, municipality authorities said on Monday. Previously, families were restricted to a maximum of two housing units in Shanghai. The mortgage rate for buyers of a... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323030/shanghai-relaxes-home-buying-rules-chinas-property-market-struggles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323030/shanghai-relaxes-home-buying-rules-chinas-property-market-struggles?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 05:37:23 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Electric vehicle (EV) sales in mainland China hit a speed bump last month, sparking worries about the industry’s growth momentum as more carmakers heed Beijing’s call to hold back on discounts and focus on profitability. Total EV deliveries, comprising passenger cars and commercial vehicles like buses, slid 5 per cent from a month earlier to 1.26 million units in July, according to data from the government-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). It was the first... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3321485/chinese-ev-makers-report-sales-dip-july-narrower-discounts-cool-buyers-ardour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3321485/chinese-ev-makers-report-sales-dip-july-narrower-discounts-cool-buyers-ardour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 13:30:07 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Beijing’s surprise move to lift home-purchase restrictions in outlying areas will help stabilise housing prices in the capital by next year, according to analysts, who added that other major cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen could follow suit. The municipal government said on Friday that families with Beijing residency, as well as those who paid social insurance and individual income tax in the city for a set period, would be allowed to buy new and second-hand homes outside the Fifth Ring Road,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3321434/china-property-shanghai-shenzhen-could-drop-buying-curbs-after-surprise-beijing-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3321434/china-property-shanghai-shenzhen-could-drop-buying-curbs-after-surprise-beijing-move?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:32:09 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun The United States has become one of the most protected markets in the world, with its effective tariff rate against the world rising to 17 per cent from around 2 per cent last year – prompting renewed calls in China for greater trade diversification and a strategic push to seize opportunities in technological self-reliance and global governance. Fitch Ratings updated its US Effective Tariff Rate (ETR) Monitor – an interactive tool tracking tariff policy – last week, following Washington’s... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320827/us-effective-tariff-rate-rises-17-analysts-say-china-has-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3320827/us-effective-tariff-rate-rises-17-analysts-say-china-has-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:15:08 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie China’s slumping property market may finally be reaching a bottom, as credit has resumed flowing to developers while the nationwide inventory of unsold homes has shrunk, analysts said. The decline in China’s new home sales this year may slow to 7 per cent, Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday after revising its forecast from a previous decline of 15 per cent, due to the better-than-expected performance of the property market in the first half. The credit-rating agency also lowered its forecast of the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3320821/chinas-property-slump-may-be-bottoming-analysts-point-hopeful-signs-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3320821/chinas-property-slump-may-be-bottoming-analysts-point-hopeful-signs-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:30:10 +0000 Yuke Xie Yuke Xie Luxury home sales in Shanghai are defying a nationwide slump, as wealthy buyers snap up “safe haven” assets amid expectations of further price gains – a trend likely to continue given scarce inventory and rising land costs. In the first half of this year, the mainland’s financial capital led in transactions of premium homes, accounting for sales of 482 new homes priced above 50 million yuan (US$7 million), more than 80 per cent of the total across 30 cities, according to data compiled by China... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317431/shanghais-luxury-home-sales-boom-wealthy-buyers-flock-safe-haven-assets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317431/shanghais-luxury-home-sales-boom-wealthy-buyers-flock-safe-haven-assets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang While China’s economy has shown considerable resilience through a turbulent first half of 2025 – navigating the dramatic twists and turns of US trade policy while maintaining steady growth - experts warn Beijing’s challenges are far from over. Although many believe the country can still hit its annual goal of “around 5 per cent” for gross domestic product growth, more pressure points are expected to emerge in the latter half of the year. After the bilateral trade war saw a temporary... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316531/china-mostly-unscathed-turbulent-six-months-2025-still-uphill-climb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3316531/china-mostly-unscathed-turbulent-six-months-2025-still-uphill-climb?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 23:00:15 +0000 Aileen Chuang Aileen Chuang SF Holding, China’s largest courier, announced plans on Thursday to raise more than HK$5.9 billion (US$752 million) through a new share placement in Hong Kong and the issuance of convertible bonds. Proceeds from the HK$2.9505 billion equity placement and HK$2.95 billion in zero-coupon one-year convertible bonds would be used for the firm’s international and cross-border logistics capabilities, as well as research and development of advanced technologies, among others, it said in a stock exchange... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3315876/chinese-courier-sf-raise-us752-million-hong-kong-shares-convertible-bonds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3315876/chinese-courier-sf-raise-us752-million-hong-kong-shares-convertible-bonds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:15:21 +0000