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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.
An elderly woman walks past a bank branch in Beijing on April 20. Photo: EPA
China's population

Why Gen Z is abandoning Beijing for greener fields elsewhere in China

The percentage of the capital’s population aged between 20 and 29 plunged from 21.3 per cent in 2015 to 11.4 per cent in 2024.

US-China relations

As I see it | Has China just ended the end of history?

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Video | How China’s malls are trying to stay relevant

2026 Xi-Trump summit

Trump trade chief says US wants balanced trade, not change to China’s system

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer wants key meeting in Beijing to help ‘achieve more balance’ economically between the two countries.

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer hopes the Trump-Xi summit can help optimise trade between China and the US. Photo: AP
US-China relations

China plan to be global arbitration hub fighting Western distrust: experts

China’s newly revised Arbitration Law marks the most significant overhaul of the country’s commercial dispute framework since 1994.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV maker Leapmotor taps Stellantis’ Spanish plant for EU production

Hangzhou carmaker’s overseas strategy highlights how Chinese brands are leveraging idle plants to scale globally while easing trade barriers.

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China energy security

China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on

Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.

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The oil tanker Odessa, carrying carrying crude from the United Arab Emirates, navigates the waters near South Korea after passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Wall Street giants lead China-profit surge despite market polarisation

Major investment banks expand market share in China, with Goldman reclaiming the revenue lead while Shengang keeps its asset crown.

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US-China relations

Video | Chinese firework makers hopeful for US exports ahead of Trump’s visit

Manufacturers are counting on Trump’s visit to de-escalate trade hostilities ahead of the US 250th anniversary.

China trade

How China’s sharper tech edge forces South Korea to rethink old industrial ties

Scholars urge a pivot to shared AI and EV standards and cooperation, while an upgraded China-South Korea free-trade pact is deemed vital.

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An artificial intelligence-powered robot works at a “convenience store” during the 2026 World IT Show in Seoul. Photo: EPA
Mainland China

Outside In | Prepare for ‘China shock 3.0’ to the global food economy

Imagine China applying the same industry policy playbook for electric cars, solar panels and AI to agriculture and food self-sufficiency.

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A worker checks rice seedlings on vertical racks at an intelligent rice seedling factory on April 2 in Changsha, Hunan province. Photo: China News Service via Getty Images
China manufacturing

China’s airship ambitions progress as first commercial pilots certified at home

The sector is advancing faster than the available talent pool – but officials call licences a ‘breakthrough’ moment.

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China-Latin America relations

Lula won’t sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in Brazil

In a three-hour White House meeting on Thursday, Brazil’s president pitched his country’s minerals to all comers.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s move to cut EV payment cycles may push weaker carmakers out: S&P

China’s weaker EV makers may soon be running on fumes as tighter payment cycles squeeze cash flow and curb price wars.

Employees work on the production line at a factory for Chery’s electric vehicles in Wuhu, Anhui province, China. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summit

Why US commercial stakes are ‘too high for Trump to ignore’ on China visit

After the US$37 billion, 300-plane deal from Trump’s last visit stalled, industry observers say the next one could be more flexible.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China-Latin America relations

US targets Cuba nickel operation in move affecting China-linked supply chains

Marco Rubio revealed sanctions on Thursday, escalating Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Havana’s military-controlled economy.

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China-Latin America relations

China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investment

Chinese miners, carmakers and tech firms are fanned out across 20 states, putting a dent in Washington’s own push throughout the region.

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Communist Party politics

Opinion | China wants its provinces to compete, but not get in each other’s way

Beijing wants provinces to compete, but not across identical wish lists. Whether that works will become visible over the next five years.

An aerial view of the Maerdang Hydropower Station on the upper reaches of the Yellow River in Qinghai province in 2024. The central government wants provinces like Qinghai to find their rightful place in national development, instead of becoming yet another manufacturing base. Photo: Xinhua
China debt

China, US drive global debt to record $353 trillion – what’s behind the surge?

New report warns that rising conflicts, AI spending and energy security push are all expected to further increase global debt levels.

China’s private sector

After accounting overhaul, can Wuliangye share buys restore investor confidence?

Investors welcome Wuliangye’s multibillion-yuan share purchase plan after weak earnings and industry destocking hit sentiment.

China travel

Fuel shocks, thin margins: why China’s airlines should ‘heed Spirit’s mistakes’

Demise of US budget carrier seen as a warning sign of how turbulent it could get for China’s airlines with fragile bottom lines.

Spirit Airlines jets sit on a tarmac in the US state of Florida on Sunday after the company ceased operations. Photo: EPA
Yuan

China sets yuan at strongest level in 3 years as US dollar jitters simmer

Beijing is pushing for a stronger yuan to help globalise the currency, but the upswing could create issues for the country’s export giants.

The Chinese yuan has steadily strengthened against the US dollar in recent months. Photo: Shutterstock
China-EU relations

China-EU investment pact belongs in ‘deep freezer’: outgoing trade chief

Sabine Weyand says the 2020 agreement with China is obsolete as Brussels weighs action on ‘macroeconomic imbalances’.

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China energy security

China’s energy security plan expands south: how Hainan is becoming an LNG hub

Global supply shocks have intensified in recent months – reaffirming Beijing’s years-long strategy.

Mainland China

Opinion | The rise of China’s scientist-entrepreneurs

The ascent of a new class of entrepreneurs signals a shift in China’s growth model, from property-driven expansion towards innovation.

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A Moz1 humanoid robot by Spirit AI serves candied fruit skewers at the 2026 Zhongguancun forum in Beijing on March 25. Photo: Reuters
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV battery giants thrive while carmakers’ profits shrink amid price wars

Carmakers’ profit margin stood at 3.2 per cent in the first quarter, versus 6 per cent for downstream industrial firms, according to CPCA.

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CATL’s advanced battery module technology is displayed at the Auto China show in Beijing that ended on May 3. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
China society

Editorial | China fireworks factory blast sharpens focus on workplace safety

China’s safety record has improved but concerns persist about under-reporting and uneven compliance.

US-China trade war

Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, experts say

Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers.

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