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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.
African Union Commission chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 8. Photo: Handout from African Union via EPA
Diplomacy

Opinion | For many states, partnership with China makes more sense than rivalry

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

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

China trade

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

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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) at 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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China GDP

IMF raises China’s 2026 growth forecast to 4.5%, citing US ‘truce’ and stimulus

The fund predicts lower US tariffs and efforts to raise consumer spending may boost economy, though forecast short of last year’s growth.

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Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, delivers remarks at the IMF headquarters in Washington on April 17, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
China GDP

China’s two-speed economy faces tough 2026 as growth cools

Lost momentum, weak domestic demand and high yardsticks point to a challenging year ahead for the Chinese economy.

China's population

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

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China trade

Harbouring ambitions: China’s port giants make waves with record growth

Record container volumes drive ambitious expansions at Shanghai and Ningbo ports as Beijing bets on smart hubs and regional integration to weather global volatility.

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The Chuanshan area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is seen in China’s Zhejiang province. Port authorities said it had surpassed 40 million TEU in container throughput by early December. Photo: Xinhua
China property

Mainland China’s home prices extend slide, deepening property downturn

New home prices fall again in December, with declines across most cities, as second-hand values plunge year on year.

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People skate on a frozen lake at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, with residential buildings in the background. Photo: AP
World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos

China’s Davos sales pitch: stability, reliability and not being Trump

Vice-Premier He Lifeng is expected to pitch China as a reliable partner on Tuesday, contrasting Beijing’s stability with Trump’s unilateralism before US president’s address.

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China GDP

China hits 2025 GDP target – but quarterly growth drops to 3-year low

China logs 5 per cent GDP growth in 2025, 4.5 per cent in fourth quarter as Beijing acknowledges ‘long-standing issues and new challenges’.

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China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
China stock market

China’s advances in AI fuel tech stock boom, help it shake off economic malaise

China’s rise recasts the country from a low-cost base to a credible US tech challenger, just as global capital hunts for next growth engine.

Thanks to fresh progress in sectors from flying cars to robotics, Chinese tech shares have begun the new year with a bang. Photo: AP
China property

Hotel conversions gain traction in China’s office market amid high vacancies

In Hangzhou, one office building now houses around 10 hotels, alongside restaurants, photography studios and second-hand luxury stores.

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.

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