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China consumption

China consumption
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China consumption. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Bookings for stand-alone villas during the 2026 New Year’s holiday period have surged, according to Tujia. Photo: Shutterstock
Tourism

China’s Gen Z consumers drive rise in homestay bookings to ring in the new year

Gen Z travellers made up more than 50 per cent of total homestay bookings for the 2026 New Year’s holiday period.

China's economic recovery

China rolls out trade-in funding for 2026 as campaign to spur spending continues

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China economy

Opinion | How China’s home-grown luxury labels took on Western brands

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China manufacturing

China’s factory activity breaks 8-month contraction, but headwinds persist

China’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in December, but analysts said it was too early to point to a sustained recovery.

A major indicator of China’s factory activity returned to expansion in December, after eight straight months of contraction. Photo: AFP
Hainan

China’s Hainan hosts duty-free shopping spree under new customs regime

A flurry of activity accompanied the official establishment of the island’s tariff and tax exemptions - but will the frenzy last?

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China's economic recovery

Consumer demand and public services top China’s financial priorities for 2026

National fiscal work conference ends in Beijing with pledge to spur domestic market.

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China-EU relations

Wild goose chase? France works to rouse China’s appetite for foie gras imports

French producers hope their famed pate can win a slice of China’s market, but price sensitivities and domestic competition could mean their goose is cooked.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China's economic recovery

China broadens foreign investment list in renewed pitch for overseas capital

The catalogue, which lists the sectors carrying policy incentives for overseas investors, has hundreds of new entries, many in advanced manufacturing.

China economy

Hard work, long hours fuelled China’s rise. Now, it weighs longer breaks

China, one of the world’s hardest-working countries, is adopting incentives to increase time off – and potentially boost consumer spending.

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China economy

Editorial | China’s resolve to invest in people is economic good sense

The government’s plan to invest in people as well as physical assets is aimed at improving domestic demand while aiding low-income households.

A worker operates machinery at a textile factory in Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on December 15. Photo: AFP
China property

China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilise property sector

Housing minister pledges to empower local governments to buy unsold inventory and shift towards selling only finished homes with a ‘what you see is what you get’ model.

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Residential buildings are seen under construction in Fuyang, Anhui province, on December 15. Photo: Getty Images
Yuan

What China’s global yuan push looks like – and what could hold it back

Currency sees wider use in trade, but high domestic savings and partial capital controls still act as constraints, analysis shows.

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Banking & finance

China to hide bad debt records for pandemic-hit borrowers who repay small loans

New policy by the People’s Bank of China applies to one-off debts up to 10,000 yuan incurred since 2020, aiming to help people rebuild credit.

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Retailing

From taboo to trendy: China’s second-hand luxury market cashes in on resale boom

Driven by an uneven recovery and property crisis, value-conscious shoppers are powering a second-hand boom as platforms use tech to verify authenticity and overcome stigma.

Illustration: Henry Wong
McDonald's

Not lovin’ it: Chinese fume at McDonald’s prices, costlier ‘poor man’s meal’

Fast-food giant increases menu items by 0.5 to 1 yuan, testing pricing power in a deflationary market where per-capita dining spending has been plunging.

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A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant McDonald’s logo in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China economy

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

Official cites headwinds from imbalances between supply and demand, but says outlook is bright.

China economy

‘Invest in people’: how a new slogan signals a pivot in China’s economic policy

Beijing is expected to strengthen investment in welfare, pensions, education and other public services to unleash domestic demand, analysts say.

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Mainland China

As China’s retail sales slow, new policy package aims to get consumers spending

Beijing asks financial institutions to help increase domestic demand by making it easier to access credit and shifting focus to services.

A woman shops in a supermarket in Beijing on December 8. Photo: EPA-EFE
China economy

China’s elusive domestic demand holds key to revival of faltering economy

Getting Chinese consumers to open their wallets after property-market losses is a tough task for leaders seeking to reheat the cooling economy – it may also be the only option.

Investing

China’s growth engines sputter as retail and investment hit in November

Retail sales grew just 1.3 per cent, with growth momentum slowing for six straight months, and January-November investment fell 2.6 per cent as the property slump persisted.

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E-commerce

Reporter’s notebook: home test kit takes headache out of Beijing healthcare

Rapid test for flu and other respiratory ailments makes it easy to avoid long queues, showcases Chinese economy’s consumption potential.

People queue up in the outpatient area of a Beijing hospital’s respiratory disease department in January. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

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Passengers board an Air China flight at an airport in Beijing. China’s major airlines are facing criticism for charging extra seat selection fees. Photo: Getty Images
Commodities

Forging ahead: China’s copper heartland vows to build US$28 billion empire

Shandong province plans to create a world-class smelting hub by 2027 to secure supply chains for the strategic metal as prices sizzle.

China economy

China’s economy can probably ride out storms in 2026

Policymakers meeting in Beijing this week will probably see few reasons for new stimulus measures after China’s economy largely weathered the US trade war.

China GDP

IMF raises China growth forecast to 5% for 2025, citing resilience

The assessment is up from October’s forecast, with the fund citing government stimulus and lower tariffs as drivers.

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IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks at a press conference during the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and IMF in Washington, DC, the United States, on April 24. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

China’s consumer prices rise at fastest pace in nearly 2 years in November

Consumer price index rises by 0.7 per cent for the month, while factory-gate prices continue long decline.

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Customers shop at a store in Beijing on October 19. Photo: Reuters
China's economic recovery

China warns internet platforms not to shift tax burden onto gig workers

Celebrities and high-profile influencers also under scrutiny, with regulators pursuing hundreds of such cases in recent years.

China trade

Chinese minister calls for more opening-up as key planning meeting looms

Commerce Minister Wang Wentao’s remarks echo similar calls by other senior officials ahead of annual central economic work conference.

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