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China economy

China economy
Breaking news and analysis on China’s economy, including its opening up, the US-China trade war, the impact of tariffs and trade talks, growth rates and other key economic data, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Greater Bay Area plan.
Employees put a robot through its paces at the Qingdao Humanoid Robot Data Training Centre in Qingdao, Shandong province, on March 23. Photo: Xinhua
China manufacturing

Opinion | Beyond subsidies: what’s really driving China’s industrial climb

Engineers, supply chain depth and policy execution matter as much as spending for countries chasing advanced manufacturing.

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China consumption

From Beijing to backwaters? Why China’s live music boom is spreading

China trade

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

Outside In | China’s manufacturing rise is here to stay. The West must recalibrate

The changes are structural and protectionism will only weaken long-term growth.

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China technology

‘It’s hard to compete’: how China is using AI to churn out 500 dramas per day

In China, micro drama companies are harnessing AI to create shows at jaw-dropping speed and cost – often with the help of lavish subsidies.

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China stock market

Chinese property stocks primed for comeback as industry shows signs of turning

Early signs of a recovery present a buying opportunity for property stocks, which have been under pressure since home prices peaked in 2021.

Property models are displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on September 14, 2025. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
China travel

Trip.com aims to bring 200 million tourists to China, buoying GDP growth

The company believes China could become the world’s top tourism destination, according to reports.

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China society

Opinion | China moves towards better protecting its gig workers

Platforms have outrun legislation but Beijing is pledging better protections for gig workers. Hong Kong is also updating relevant laws.

China technology

Is China’s Manus block a warning for other AI firms with global ambitions?

State media has cast the deal as a security concern, while stressing Beijing remains open to foreign investment.

The Manus AI agent app is displayed on mobile phones with the logo of US tech giant Meta in the app interface. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

Xi-Trump summit unlikely to revive Chinese investment in US, report warns

Rhodium Group report says Chinese investment in America has ‘fallen significantly’ from 2016 peak.

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US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping following a meeting at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, in October. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
China jobs

Back to the factory? China to retrain 1 million jobless graduates as technicians

China aims to solve its graduate jobs crisis by sending academic students to vocational school. But many young people remain sceptical.

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Aviation

China forges new aviation alliances to fast-track C929 certification

Pacts include airworthiness standards for long-haul aircraft, together with Hong Kong and Macau, aiding efforts to expand international operations for Comac’s jets.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong’s institutional strengths can power its 5-year plan

The ‘small government’ era is over. Hong Kong must proactively serve as a super value-adder connecting China and the world.

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The Victoria Harbour waterfront in Hong Kong. The city must make full use of its institutional strengths in this increasingly fragmented environment. Photo: Reuters
China travel

China braces for record Labour Day travel surge as tourism demand remains robust

China expects to handle a record 304 million cross-regional trips per day over the holiday, as the government focuses on boosting consumption.

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China is expecting to see a record surge in cross-regional travel over the coming Labour Day holiday. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely joins Chery, BYD in profit slide as China car sales plunge

Three most profitable carmakers last year all report double-digit profit declines, but rosier export forecast improves outlook.

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China airliners

China Southern orders Airbus jets worth US$21b as Boeing waits

Airline joins state-owned peers in placing large orders with European manufacturer, while rumoured Boeing deal could hinge on Trump visit.

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China energy security

Why China may benefit from the UAE’s Opec withdrawal

Beijing may have access to increased supply – though Strait of Hormuz disruption remains a serious constraint, analysts say.

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A model of an oil pump is seen in front of the Opec logo in this illustration taken January 9. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Beijing touts mineral dominance, boosts autonomy drive, ahead of Trump’s visit

Ministry of Natural Resources boasts world-leading reserves of 14 minerals and vows to keep boosting output and exploration as geopolitical risks weigh on resources.

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Consumers

Ikea to open first small-format Beijing store to tap changing consumer trends

The Tongzhou district outlet marks the furniture retailer’s pivot to compact formats as China’s property slump hits home-furnishing demand.

Electric & new energy vehicles

BYD, Geely tap global EV demand to escape China price wars

Shares of BYD and Geely rose after they released earnings as the Strait of Hormuz shutdown boosts global demand for Chinese-made electric vehicles.

A BYD Seagull electric vehicle on display at Auto China in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

China targets ‘zombies’ with regulatory headshots to kill off indebted laggards

Six provinces and the capital city test a forced-insolvency pilot to purge overcapacity and dismantle local protectionism, prioritising market efficiency.

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A worker produces photovoltaic modules for export at the workshop of a new-energy company in China’s Jiangsu province. Findings indicate a disproportionately high number of “zombie companies” in the nation’s renewables sector. Photo: Getty Images
China GDP

US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: Mahbubani

Get your head checked, strategist Mahbubani tells those who underestimate the US and China, while forecasting a bigger GDP gulf between the two by 2030.

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China exports

How China’s reported sulphuric acid export ban could have global buyers reeling

Foreign firms fear more halts following reports of a ban on the export of the chemical, crucial for fertiliser and battery production.

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China energy security

China orders maritime security research as Hormuz crisis exposes trade risks

The research agenda will also focus on safeguarding port access and critical mineral investments amid rising threats to global trade.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply travels, has been repeatedly sealed off since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Why Moody’s has raised China’s credit outlook amid Iran war shocks

Ratings agency gives China an A1 long-term rating, citing the economy’s resilience in the face of trade and geopolitical pressures.

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A pile of 100-yuan notes. Photo: Shutterstock
China GDP

Unpacking China’s April Politburo statement

SCMP Plus annotates the readout from the April meeting of China’s top decision-making Politburo, which resolved to accelerate measures to limit the economic fallout from the Iran war.

SCMP Exclusives

Exclusive | Un-sanctioned: China to welcome Dutch trade minister amid Nexperia, ASML discord

Source says Beijing has quietly dropped an old sanctioning of Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who recently spoke of wanting to lead a Dutch trade mission to China.

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