TOPIC

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.
A drone photo taken on December 16, 2025 shows workers on a power transmission line in east China’s Anhui Province. Photo: Xinhua
China energy security

China’s AI and EV boom drives record power demand, widening energy gap with US

The main drivers of the growth are the tertiary sector – covering services including AI cloud services – and residential use.

Banking & finance

In wake of Trump post, calls mount for China to impose rate cap on online loans

US-China trade war

Trump shrugs off concerns over Canada-China EV deal, calls it a ‘good thing’

videocam
11
US-China relations

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s EV power to Hegseth’s new threat, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of January 2026.

Practitioners perform martial art next to a BYD Sealion 7 electric vehicle at Singapore Motorshow on January 9. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

videocam
47
China trade

Canada, China hit reset button on relations with tariff agreement

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the deal, which features a mutual reduction in tariffs on goods, including Chinese EVs.

videocam
52
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China-Canada relations

China-Canada accord, US-Taiwan chips deal, GDP slowdown

This week: China and Canada to cut tariffs, Taiwan agrees chips and tariff deal with US, China trade surplus hits record, and PBOC cuts relending rates. Next week, China economic growth may hit post-Covid low, Trump attends Davos, DeepSeek reaches first anniversary, and more.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Reuters
China technology

Opinion | China’s economy is struggling – even as its hi-tech sector booms

China’s pivot to a tech-driven economy is thrilling, but its success will be judged by how it improves people’s everyday lives.

videocam
US-China trade war

China’s slowing growth, bilateral tensions top US business concerns

Survey by American Chamber of Commerce in China finds that expectations for Sino-US ties have ‘improved significantly’.

China stock market

China pushes slow bull run with tightened margin financing rules

‘Investors should reduce their leverage levels to guard against the risk of volatility,’ BOC International’s Wang Jun says.

The tightened margin trading rules’ immediate impact was to cool market sentiment. Photo: Shutterstock
China education

Opinion | Too few Chinese finish secondary school to sustain growth

To shift to a new growth model, China must redirect its focus from skyscrapers and infrastructure to raising educational attainment.

videocam
Students study at a high school in Renxian county, Hebei province, on May 7, 2015. Photo: Xinhua
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s subsidy change adds to EV makers’ stress, while petrol cars gain

Typical subsidy on an EV drops by around US$1,150, changing buyer calculations and exacerbating the sector’s profitability woes.

China’s crackdowns

China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

Big data is used to flag income gaps for top online stars and overseas earners, as regulators recover billions in unpaid levies amid slumping land sales and value-added tax revenue decline.

Banking & finance

China to cut relending rates, widen credit support for private sector and tech

Beyond the central bank’s rate cuts that take effect Monday, authorities will work to lower the minimum down payment for commercial property purchase loans to 30 per cent.

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China airliners

Exclusive | European test pilots put China’s C919 airliner through paces in Shanghai

European Union Aviation Safety Agency test flights a crucial step in acquiring certification needed for global operation.

videocam
11
C919s at the Singapore Airshow in February 2024. Photo: Xinhua
China society

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

videocam
Electric & new energy vehicles

China-EU tariff consensus on EVs will cut shipments but boost profits

Agreement on price floors will allow mainland carmakers to avoid price wars and nurture brand reputation, analysts say.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US-China trade war

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

videocam
In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. Photo: Reuters
China consumption

Why mortgage subsidies could be key to getting China’s consumers spending

Beijing is striving to boost household spending amid an economic slowdown. But first it needs to stabilise the housing market, scholars say.

videocam
China trade

China trade surplus hits US$1.2 trillion even with Trump tariffs

Chinese exporters brushed off the US trade war in 2025, partly by finding new markets, while lower oil prices and investments in renewable power kept imports flat amid economic growth.

Banking & finance

Growth in sovereign investors’ China exposure slows amid political tensions

Inflows fall 58 per cent as sovereign wealth funds grow cautious, yet outlook signals selective opportunities ahead, experts say.

13
Sovereign investment activity has become increasingly politicised, forcing some Western state-owned investors to avoid major deals in China, according to a data platform. Photo: EPA
Mainland China

Opinion | China’s new property pivot is coming. Expect full stabilisation ahead

As property curbs to boost spending hit practical limits, a push to stabilise assets is now being seen as a prerequisite for consumer confidence.

videocam
4
Home buyers shop at a pre-sale property in Yangxin county, Binzhou city, in eastern China’s Shandong province, on February 23. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
China travel

‘Structurally hurt’: why are Chinese tourists spending less abroad than before?

China’s outbound travel sector has bounced back from the pandemic, but the era of duty-free shopping sprees appears to be over.

videocam
10
China trade

China’s US$1.2 trillion trade surplus

China posted its first trade surplus above US$1 trillion in 2025 as exporters reshaped operations to weather the US trade war and imports stagnated amid lower oil prices.

China trade

As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Shipments to Asean and Africa surged to drive a record US$1.19 trillion surplus for China, offsetting headwinds as leaders push to boost local demand.

videocam
22
The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is seen on Thursday in China’s Zhejiang province. The nation’s trade resilience has been attributed to its fastest-growing sectors having limited exposure to the United States. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

As I see it | The Chinese century may already be here

International competition will be won by nations with steady and realistic policies guided by a vision, not the ones indulging in cowboy militarism.

videocam
20
Visitors enjoy the lush, futuristic interior of a shopping centre in Chongqing, on November 13, 2024. Photo: Getty Images
Solar energy

Chinese solar firms eye price hikes amid silver surge, scrapping of tax rebate

China exported 206 gigawatts of photovoltaic modules in the first nine months of 2025, up 10 per cent from a year earlier.

China energy security

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

videocam
24
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement