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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.
China should tax the ultra-rich’s property and income streams to align government incentives with protecting property rights and stabilising expectations, a prominent economist has said. Photo: Reuters
China property

Ex-adviser urges China to tackle inequality with higher taxes on ultra-rich

Raising taxes on assets, incomes of high earners will add to state revenues and incentivise protecting property rights, economist says.

China airliners

European airlines adding China flights despite Russian airspace barrier

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China trade

Pakistan to tap China debt market with first sale of yuan-priced ‘panda bonds’

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China shipbuilding

The US tried to rein in China’s shipyards. Now, they are even more dominant

China’s shipyards secured a staggering 85 per cent of global orders in the first quarter, as demand for oil tankers surges amid the Iran war.

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Workers build large vessels at the Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP
2026 Xi-Trump summit

US-China negotiations seek a quick Seoul search for deals ahead of Trump’s visit

Setting stage for presidential summit with Xi in Beijing, Bessent and He to meet in South Korea, and the ‘3 Bs’ could be on the cards.

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China property

China’s bond market faces climbing re-defaults as property crisis drags on

Re-defaults erode credit differentiation as homebuyer confidence weakens under slow income growth and high leverage, analysts warn.

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China's population

China’s marriage numbers plunge to Covid-era low as population woes deepen

Fewer than 1.7 million couples tied the knot in the first quarter, the lowest total for the same period since lockdown-dominated 2020.

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A newlywed couple takes a selfie with their marriage certificates at a marriage registration office in China’s northern Henan province. Photo: Getty Images
China inflation

China’s producer, consumer inflation up in April as Iran war pressures persist

Factory-gate prices increased 2.8 per cent last month and consumer prices were up 1.2 per cent, surpassing expectations as fuel costs rise.

China trade

Sino-Japanese relations

China and Japan have forged strong economic ties, despite having regular diplomatic rows over disputed territories and the legacy of the Second World War. The latest escalation occurred in November after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan’s military forces could be deployed in the event of conflict in the Strait of Taiwan.

2026 Xi-Trump summit

What to expect from this week’s Trump 2.0 visit to Beijing

Nearly a decade after his first-term visit, Trump returns to Beijing amid tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and tech rivalry.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in November 2017. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

Opinion | Can China engineer a price recovery that doesn’t make people feel poorer?

The producer price uptick offers a policy window: if reinforced by household demand and expectations, it could kick off a broader recovery.

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People cross a road near a shopping centre in Beijing on March 7. Photo: AFP
China airliners

China’s Comac looking to boost C919’s overhead luggage capacity: source

Aircraft maker reviewing new designs to challenge Boeing and Airbus and take better advantage of plane’s slightly wider fuselage.

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Mainland China

Opinion | Rise of China complicates ‘authoritarian’ vs ‘democratic’ binary

As China’s trajectory exposes the limitations of labels inherited from another era, understanding how governance systems work is more important.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s AI drive seen widening wealth gap, testing ‘common prosperity’ push

With Beijing’s ‘AI-plus’ plan looking to grow the nation’s digital economy, experts warn that hubs could further outpace rural regions, fuelling inequality.

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Chinese students interact with an AI-powered assistant during a class in Zhejiang province last month. Photo: Xinhua
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.

An elderly woman walks past a bank branch in Beijing on April 20. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

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

As China continues to thrive, Western observers are beginning to rethink past assumptions about the country’s future.

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

Shopping centres are focusing more on consumer experiences rather than traditional retail sales.

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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.

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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People walk along Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: Reuters
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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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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An AS700 airship conducts a test flight above the city of Jingmen in central China’s Hubei province. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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