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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.
Bubble tea chain Mixue Bingcheng joined the ranks of China’s top 100 listed companies in the first half of last year. Photo: Reuters
China’s private sector

China’s private sector increases presence among top 100 listed firms

US think tank’s report says non-state sector is bouncing back from three-year slump.

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China energy security

China’s massive project to funnel clean energy from Tibet enters new phase

Apple

Apple cuts prices for Lunar New Year as competition heats up in mainland China

China jobs

China’s youth jobless rate edges down – but labour market strains persist

Beijing vows to prioritise job market in 2026, the first year of new five-year plan.

China’s youth jobless rate has grown in recent years, with many graduates struggling to find work that matches their qualifications. Photo: Shutterstock
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

‘No choice’: China seen eyeing consumption as a route out of export reliance

Beijing’s policies seen putting income growth above GDP, with investments in social welfare, future tech and advanced manufacturing to spur internal demand.

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Commodities

China unveils 18-point plan to boost global non-ferrous metals pricing power

The move is aimed at strengthening the links between the futures, spot and derivatives markets for non-ferrous metals and Shanghai’s role.

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US-China trade war

Beijing-Ottawa deal reinforces China’s dominance in EV industry, analysts say

New agreement is set to significantly boost Chinese carmakers’ global expansion and offers easier entry into the North American EV market.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last Friday, where the pair announced a new strategic partnership that will open Canada up to Chinese electric vehicles. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US losing out to China with ‘onslaught’ on cutting-edge research: Nobel laureate

America risks losing the tech race to China unless it elects a government more supportive of scientific research, Nobel-winning economist says.

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China-Africa relations

China widens trade gap with Africa to record US$102 billion amid US pressure

Data points to growing African trade deficit as Trump imposes tariffs, and African demand for manufactured goods and commodity price spikes.

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Low-altitude economy

Shanghai to open ‘free-to-fly’ zones covering 46% of city for consumer drones

From February 1, consumer drones will be allowed to fly in designated airspace under new rules to boost the city’s low-altitude economy.

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A drone flies over The Bund in central Shanghai in the evening. Photo: Shutterstock
China exports

How China is rethinking export-led growth as global trade walls rise

Protectionism is forcing a shift towards balancing exports with outbound investment, analysts say.

China’s trade surplus reached a record high in 2025, raising the risk of renewed trade frictions with partners and paving the way for a potential recalibration in Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock
Diplomacy

Opinion | Why so many states reject bloc rivalry to choose partnership with China

It’s a calculated choice to keep growth, infrastructure momentum and policy space alive in a world that punishes the economically exposed.

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E-commerce

China fines e-commerce firm PDD for tax violations amid probe

Operator of leading online retail platform was cited for failure to comply with Shanghai’s tax requirements.

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China trade

China should leverage buying power to boost yuan’s use, former PBOC adviser says

With the yuan’s fixing at fresh 2023 highs and US dollar uncertainty rising under Trump, Beijing is urged to expand yuan-settled imports to internationalise its currency.

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A former adviser to China’s central bank said Beijing should leverage the nation’s purchasing power to boost imports settled in yuan. Photo: AFP
China trade

China has tools to step up trade curbs on Japan amid tensions: Morgan Stanley

But Beijing is likely to conclude that further action would be counterproductive, according to the investment bank.

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Ties between China and Japan have deteriorated since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made contentious remarks about Taiwan that drew a sharp response from Beijing. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

Editorial | China’s EV industry should focus on consolidation at home, expansion abroad

With Beijing discouraging ‘irrational competition’, the fewer brands with greater scale that emerge from the consolidation wave should look to opportunities abroad.

China trade

China’s zero-tariff gambit: why Beijing is slashing duties as Trump raises them

China’s average effective tariff rate estimated to be as low as 1.3 per cent in 2025, helping it secure raw materials and build soft power.

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China's economic recovery

China’s Xi pushes ‘holistic’ execution by local cadres for 5-year plan

Xi pushes need for full grasp of 2026-2030 goals, setting boundaries amid domestic malaise and external challenges to get the ball rolling.

President Xi Jinping, seen here in July 2024, addressed China’s provincial leaders and ministers at the Central Party School in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: AP
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

China’s He Lifeng warns of ‘law of the jungle’, blasts protectionism, at Davos

Amid escalating transatlantic rifts fuelled by Donald Trump, vice-premier urges global cooperation, free trade and dialogue, pledging to boost imports and open China’s market.

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China consumption

China targets hi-tech industries, household spending in 2026 with policy package

Beijing announces support for small businesses and the tech sector, after 2025 economic data shows heavy reliance on exports.

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Belt and Road Initiative

China ramps up Belt and Road deals amid US competition

A 75 per cent boom in China’s Belt and Road Initiative last year will help lock in resources for the energy transition and AI rush, as well as extending the country’s global reach.

Photo: Shutterstock Images
Wealth management

Opinion | How generational wealth transfer will reshape China’s economy

China’s generational wealth transfer will involve more than assets changing hands; it will reconfigure capital markets and global financial power.

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A woman reacts for a photo near the words “Get Rich” in Beijing on January 15. Photo: AP
China consumption

China’s consumers refuse to open their wallets. Is ‘luxury-phobia’ the problem?

Chinese households are not splashing out on luxury goods partly because they feel ‘stigmatised’ for doing so, scholar argues.

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China's economic recovery

Shanghai unveils road map to rival world cities in finance, tech and innovation

Economic powerhouse has sights set on AI, advanced manufacturing and global financial services, reflecting a national 5-year plan’s first explicit financial-centre directive.

China technology

China’s nuclear fusion start-ups power up with record funding round

Startorus Fusion raised US$143 million, a record for a private firm, while Supermag New Energy received ‘several hundred million yuan’.

China has launched an association specifically tasked with accelerating funding for the commercialisation of nuclear fusion technology. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

Opinion | China’s focus is on stability as the US rocks the global boat

While Beijing has achieved its major economic goals for 2025, this year policymakers might be forced to focus on external crises and US foreign policy.

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This handout picture, provided by the Iranian Defence Ministry on March 12, 2024, shows Iranian forces piloting a speedboat near a Chinese naval ship during the “Maritime Security Belt 2024” joint exercise carried out by Tehran, Moscow and Beijing in the Gulf of Oman. Photo: AFP
Belt and Road Initiative

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

China’s global infrastructure strategy logged a record US$213 billion of new deals in 2025, as metals projects in Central Asia soared, report finds.

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US-China relations

How narrowing China-US gap could reshape global power play by 2035

Political scientist Yan Xuetong predicts Beijing will be on ‘equal footing’ in strategic rivalry with Washington in the post-Trump era.

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