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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.
Explaining China’s 2026 rural blueprint
China food security

Explaining China’s 2026 rural blueprint

SCMP Plus annotates the No 1 document released by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and State Council setting out key rural policies for the year.

China travel

Chinese tourism to Japan plunges 50% over Lunar New Year as Thailand cashes in

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China trade

US-Indonesia deal threatens China’s ‘entrenched position’ in nickel market: analysts

China-Japan relations

China adds Japanese entities to export control list, turning up heat on Tokyo

Beijing has also added another 20 Japanese firms and institutions to a watch list for the export of goods with potential military applications.

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China has added 20 Japanese entities to an export control list amid heightened tensions with Tokyo. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US tariff ruling points to steadier US–China ties before April summit: analysts

Court decision lowers effective duties, easing tensions and steering Xi-Trump talks towards stability rather than escalation.

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US-China trade war

What next for China’s export machine after top US court blocks Trump’s tariffs?

The high-stakes meeting between Trump and Xi may determine whether current reprieve gives way to a more durable trade deal, analyst says.

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China consumption

Boom or bust? China’s Lunar New Year spending data is in – here is what we know

Initial figures show record travel, shifting spending patterns and a weak box office.

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Customers choose mobile phones at a consumer electronics store in Zaozhuang, east China’s Shandong province, on Saturday. Local authorities rolled out a series of stimulus programmes and policies to help boost consumer spending during the holiday. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

Low-cost models dominate China EV sales, surpassing Tesla and BYD

Geely’s and Wuling’s sub-100,000 yuan battery EVs ranked first and second in mainland China last year, each selling over 400,000 units.

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US-China trade war

Critical minerals rivalry expands to copper, silver

The US and China are intensifying efforts to secure copper and silver supply chains amid surging industrial demand which has driven up prices of the metals, delivering big returns for investors in 2025.

China property

Empty shops, falling rents: commercial property suffers in China retail slump

China’s key shopping street rents have fallen to 2018 levels as cautious consumers cut spending and landlords lower prices to fill vacancies.

Retail therapy: Chinese consumers have been spending more cautiously and saving more amid uncertain job prospects. Photo: Xinhua
China travel

Chinese shoppers are Asia’s biggest airport spenders, study finds

China’s travellers outspend even their Indian and Saudi peers, splashing twice the regional average on luxury goods, airport retail study says.

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Customers shop at a duty-free store in China’s southern Hainan province. Chinese travellers spend more at airports than any other passengers in Asia, according to a new study. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on how world can resist US, China economic coercion

Threatening rivals’ economic choke points is nothing new, but Trump has politicised it, political scientist says. He suggests ways countries and companies can respond.

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China airliners

China’s C909 jet gets international uplift with funding for adoptive airline

Chengdu Airlines, an affiliate of C909 manufacturer Comac, has received a capital injection to help widen the jet’s international coverage.

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Hong Kong budget 2026-27

Hong Kong budget 2026-27: should the coming blueprint boost yuan’s global push?

Experts say Hong Kong has ‘distinct advantages’ that can support the country’s financial development amid geopolitical uncertainties.

Given mainland China’s current capital controls, the internationalisation of the yuan has largely proceeded through offshore markets. Photo: Reuters
China education

China’s vocational degrees rising as students seek skills over prestige

Job-placement rates for vocational undergraduate colleges now outpace traditional universities, as youth unemployment drives pivot to more reliable employment path.

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Vocational undergraduate colleges in China have expanded rapidly, growing from just 15 during a pilot phase in 2019 to more than 100. Photo: Getty Images
Robotics

Opinion | Humans vs robots? China begs to disagree

As China embraces humanoid robots, policymakers and companies are expanding the scope of innovation and applications in daily life.

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China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

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China trade

Opinion | How the next China shock is shaping hearts and minds

No longer confined to trade and technology, competition between China and the West is now playing out in the realm of cultural imagination.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China trade war

Trump lashes out at US Supreme Court, rolls out new 10% global tariffs

Decision threatens administration’s trade agenda; casts shadow on Xi-Trump summit as some China tariffs wiped out before Beijing talks.

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US-China trade war

Why looming US-China trade talks could hinge on an obscure metal: gallium

China’s ban on exports of the vital metal could kick in again in November – and the US still has no realistic alternative supplier.

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Mainland China

Video | China bets big on its emerging ‘ice and snow’ economy

The emerging sector is tipped to be worth 1.5 trillion yuan (US$217 billion) in 2030.

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China trade

Why more foreign medical patients are opting for ‘China speed’

The speed, efficiency and affordability of treatment in China is attracting foreign patients, but some bottlenecks need to be cleared.

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Specialists perform orthopaedic surgery using a robotic system at the Tongzhou branch of Beijing Anzhen Hospital in Beijing on February 3. Photo: Xinhua
China-Africa relations

China helps Zimbabwe grow US$1.2 billion tobacco crop amid debt, health concerns

As Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and a primary foreign currency earner, tobacco dominates its trade with Beijing.

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Guangzhou

Why ‘ghosts’ are most dangerous foes in China’s cutthroat civil service exams

A bizarre case of inflating applicant numbers to deter potential job candidates has become a national talking point.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Speed bump ahead: rising battery costs nudge Chinese drivers towards hybrids

Higher lithium prices and the end of incentives are reshaping China’s EV market, with hybrids emerging as a more practical option for many.

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Workers produce lithium batteries in Qinyang, central China’s Henan province. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

Macroscope | US dollar weakness is no game changer for a globalised yuan

Beijing will seize on the crisis to promote the yuan, but without capital account liberalisation – essential for a truly global currency – its rise will remain limited.

An employee of a bank counts US dollar notes at a branch in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016. The prospect of a prolonged dollar bear market has major implications for the global economy and markets. Photo: Reuters
Gold in Hong Kong

Copper, lithium unlikely to match gold’s gains as output rises: Goldman

Record gold prices have lifted sentiment across raw materials, but analysts expect differentiated returns as producers ratchet up output.

China consumption

Why are so many South Korean visitors flocking to China’s Guangzhou?

Safety concerns in Southeast Asia and China’s visa-free travel policy among factors fuelling boom in golf tourism.

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