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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.
A former adviser to China’s central bank said Beijing should leverage the nation’s purchasing power to boost imports settled in yuan. Photo: AFP
China trade

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

With the yuan’s fixing at fresh 2023 highs and US dollar uncertainty rising under Trump, Beijing is urged to expand yuan-settled imports to internationalise its currency.

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China trade

China has tools to step up trade curbs on Japan amid tensions: Morgan Stanley

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Editorial | China’s EV industry should focus on consolidation at home, expansion 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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Chinese President Xi Jinping and African leaders arrive at a forum on China-Africa cooperation in Beijing. China has pledged to cut tariffs on most African imports to zero. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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Retail sales increased slightly in 2025, but still fell short of market expectations. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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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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A Labubu toy hangs from a consumer’s Hermes bag in Beijing. To get consumers spending, China should not stigmatise the pursuit of luxury goods, a professor at Peking University has argued. Photo: Beijing
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.

A view of the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai’s Pudong district is seen through an installation on October 27. The city has its sights set on financial and developmental advancements in the coming years. Photo: AFP
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’.

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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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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Security guards patrol a lithium project in Zimbabwe. China’s engagement in metals and mining projects surged last year, according to a report by the Griffith Asia Institute. Photo: EPA-EFE
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 and the US have been working to keep the peace ahead of possible reciprocal visits by US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right), shown here in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: AFP
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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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.

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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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A nurse feeds a newborn at a hospital in Nanjing, China. The nation’s birthrate plunged by double digits last year. Photo: Getty Images
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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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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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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A sign of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20, 2025. Photo: AFP
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 recorded a record trade surplus last year despite facing US tariffs, helping the country hit its annual growth target of “about 5 per cent”. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

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.

Hotel operators are seeking lower-cost, well-located space, and office landlords are looking to reduce vacancy, says James Macdonald, head of research for China at Savills. Photo: Handout
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.

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

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

Beijing tightened oversight of China’s online lending market last year, but many are still borrowing, especially those of younger generations.

US-China trade war

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

Despite Trump’s support for landmark accord, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Ottawa may regret its decision ‘in the long run’.

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