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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.
Chinese farmers have grown wheat in the country’s largest desert, Taklamakan, amid ongoing efforts to turn arid deserts into fertile soil and the drive to strengthen food security. Photo: Weibo
Science

2 years on: China’s ‘desert wheat farms’ show the seeds of success

Chinese project turns sand dunes into cropland to combat desertification and strengthen food security.

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China inflation

China’s factory-gate prices rise for first time in 3 years as Iran war bites

Mainland China

Opinion | Why Latin America is becoming indispensable to China

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China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China. Brazil’s beef exporters are rapidly filling their quota for China, leaving them now seeking new buyers. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

Yuan tokens and oil-linked fees? China experts propose ‘innovative’ Hormuz tolls

Analysts warn Trump’s ‘joint venture’ plan with Iran could formalise grey zone, while Beijing balances roles as mediator, energy importer.

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Yuan

Conflict catalyst: China’s yuan settlements hit record amid Middle East tensions

Single-day transactions via China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System surge past 1 trillion yuan as Beijing’s moves to expand the yuan-payment network show signs of paying off.

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Bonds

Macroscope | Why investors should beware China safe haven narrative amid Iran crisis

While there is reason for optimism, the ceasefire in Iran remains tenuous and the return of inflation is not the kind China wants to see.

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An oil tanker unloads crude oil at the port in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, on April 7. Photo: AFP
China exports

China strengthens oversight of state-owned assets overseas amid global tensions

A new department will guide state-owned enterprises expanding overseas, as China’s firms look outwards for growth opportunities.

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Banking & finance

More Chinese banks claw back bonuses, cut salaries despite mixed profit recovery

Some lenders are also deferring bonuses and cutting headcount as they tighten their purse strings.

China energy security

China powers up major Southeast Asian solar project amid Iran war shock

The installation boasts more than two million solar panels and comes online as global fossil fuels face unprecedented disruption.

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China General Nuclear Power Group’s solar project in Laos. Photo: CCTV
China-Latin America relations

Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China

Chilean investigators dismantled cross-border networks after one of largest organised crime operations in South American country’s history.

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Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast, who took office in March, has made organised crime a central focus of his government’s first months. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US-China ties are critical in dangerous new ‘might-is-right world order’: Dalio

Billionaire investor urges Chinese and US elites to ‘rise above ourselves’ and safeguard global well-being amid a changing world order.

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Banking & finance

As France pulls gold from the US, how can China become the next global gold hub?

Federal Reserve is no longer seen as a ‘safe’ place for nations to store gold as Trump’s unpredictability spooks the world’s central banks.

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China trade

China enforces new supply chain security rules as Iran war shakes markets

The new regulation makes protecting China’s supply chains a national security issue – and allows Beijing to punish any entities that threaten them.

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China is taking steps to shore up its supply chains amid rising global uncertainty unleashed by the US-Israel war on Iran. Photo: AP
China trade

Explaining China’s supply chain security rules

SCMP Plus annotates 18-point regulation issued by China’s State Council providing a legal basis for the country to respond to sanctions and export controls that threaten supply chains.

Explaining China’s supply chain security rules
Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers bet on solid-state batteries to drive next EV phase

Carmakers push next-generation battery tech as they chase longer range and improved safety, despite high costs.

Banking & finance

‘No alternative but to comply’: investors’ foreign income in China’s crosshairs

Ministry says 11.5% growth in personal income tax revenue partly driven by ‘significant rise in income from share transfers and dividends’.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Only virtual talks, no new investment push before Xi-Trump summit: Greer

US Trade Representative underscores US seeks substantial tariffs, unhindered rare earth access, and a stability-preserving leaders’ meeting.

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US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to reporters outside the White House. Photo: AP
China-Latin America relations

Brazil blacklists China EV giant BYD for its slave labour conditions

Government officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in degrading circumstances in their accommodation.

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China energy security

China starts work on solar plant under extreme conditions, amid energy crisis

Beijing will build the world’s highest-altitude parabolic trough solar thermal facility on the Tibet Plateau to diversify power sources.

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China food security

Beyond Russian oil, China also increases appetite for Ukrainian wheat flour

Chinese and Ukrainian officials sign a protocol in Kyiv on inspection, quarantine and sanitary requirements for exports.

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Harvesters gather wheat in Zghurivka, Ukraine, in August 2022. Photo: AP
Yuan

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

Many yuan transactions are now routed through China’s own global payment system, which often does not show up in traditional data sets, analysts say.

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The Chinese yuan may be used more widely in cross-border payments than conventional data suggests, analysts say. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

Letters | Can China pursue tech self-sufficiency and market openness at once?

Readers discuss the implications of China’s five-year plan on Southeast Asia, and AI and journalism.

China GDP

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

Goldman Sachs’ chief Asia-Pacific economist says worst is over in terms of property slump’s impact on China’s economic growth.

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China consumption

China’s luxury spending seen boosting global sales in 2026 despite headwinds

Affluent Chinese consumers are expected to splurge, though a volatile property market and oil price shocks pose challenges, analysts say.

A huge, ship-shaped Louis Vuitton cultural and retail landmark is seen in Shanghai. China’s luxury spending is expected to help drive a global rebound this year. Photo: Getty Images
China property

From ghost to giant: long skyscraper saga nears finish amid China property woes

Once deemed a ‘ghost tower’ and a benchmark of unfinished projects, the 596-metre building’s state-backed revival reflects efforts to rebuild confidence in fragile market.

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On March 28, the first component of a diamond-shaped crown was hoisted to the rooftop of the Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in the Chinese city of Tianjin. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

How can Beijing lure top-tier Chinese AI professionals based abroad?

Strategy would help country transition from ‘major trainer’ of talent to ‘development highland’ as tech competition with US intensifies.

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Tianjin

Japanese chains lose ground in north China as competition and deflation bite

Store closures in Beijing and Tianjin highlight mounting pressure from domestic rivals amid shifting consumer habits.

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