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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’s central bank recently strengthened the yuan’s daily fixing rate to break through the psychologically important level of 7 per US dollar for the first time since May 2023. Photo: dpa
Yuan

US presses China to let yuan strengthen – but avoids controversial label

Washington says it could still designate Beijing in future if evidence found that it limits currency’s strength.

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China's economic recovery

China seeks ‘slow bull’ rally

China consumption

How changing tastes in China are hitting Australia’s wine exports

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China manufacturing

Opinion | Fears of overcapacity ignore China’s full balance of payments picture

The right question to ask is whether China’s overall current account represents a destabilising imbalance that siphons growth from trading partners.

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People shop at an international duty free shopping centre in Haikou, Hainan province, on December 18, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
United States

‘Not healthy’: US ambassador warns against China’s manufacturing dominance

US envoy David Perdue voices concerns over China’s manufacturing power, urging fair, reciprocal trade to benefit global economies.

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US-China relations

Do Americans think China will overtake the US? The results are in

Washington think tank takes the public’s temperature on global power and influence.

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Mainland China

Video | Scuffles break out at Ikea clearance sale in China

Furniture retailer to focus on targeted growth in key cities, with plans to open 10 small-format outlets over two years.

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Commodities

Runaway gold: why even Wall Street can’t keep up with the metal’s record ascent

Some Chinese funds halt subscriptions as uncertainty fuels volatility in the metals market, while Hong Kong’s first gold exchange-traded fund surges on its debut.

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Banking & finance

China’s ‘gold fever’ sparks US$1 billion scandal as trading platform collapses

Chinese platform JWR faced a liquidity crisis as investors rushed to cash in on surging gold prices, leaving customers billions of yuan out of pocket.

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Semiconductors

ASML reports heated global demand in 2025, but cools China outlook

US limits on ASML’s China trade continue to define the company’s growth pattern, with overall sales up despite China revenues falling.

ASML CFO Roger Dassen attends a news conference after the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report in 2020. Photo: Reuters
IPO

3 Chinese firms add to Hong Kong’s IPO boom with US$2 billion in fundraising

Muyuan Foods, Shenzhen Han’s and Distinct Healthcare started taking orders for their Hong Kong listings on Thursday.

Muyuan Foods, the world’s largest hog firm, plans to sell about 274 million new shares at up to HK$39 each. Photo: Shutterstock
China GDP

Tale of 2 megacities: how did Beijing, Shanghai GDPs surpass 5 trillion yuan?

China’s two largest cities are outpacing national growth rates, each generating gross domestic products equal to a small European country.

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US-China relations

Rise in Republicans wary of China as bipartisan unity declines, new survey says

Report found two-thirds of Republicans now likely to view Beijing as a threat to US, compared with 44 per cent of Democrats and Independents.

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US-China trade war

Why Greenland’s rare earth riches cannot end US dependence on China’s minerals

Danish territory boasts vast critical mineral deposits – but mining and processing them extremely challenging, analyst says.

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Rare earths have become a point of contention in the US-China relationship, particularly after Beijing imposed export controls on the minerals following Washington launching its trade war in April. Photo: Reuters
China trade

What haunts China’s investors? Geopolitics and a demographic abyss, survey finds

Weak domestic demand, shrinking confidence in the property market and a declining fertility rate fuel caution among investors in China’s major hubs.

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China’s plummeting birth rates present a daunting challenge, as the nation’s newborn population fell below 8 million in 2025 for the first time since 1949. Photo: AFP
China manufacturing

As World Cup boosts merch demand, China’s small-goods capital Yiwu stays wary

China sees a spike in orders from across the globe for footy-themed flags, scarves and wristbands but overall economic outlook is still weak.

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China-EU relations

‘Mother of all trade deals’: EU pivots to India in historic trade shake-up

Brussels diversifies away from China and US risks, while the pact makes India a more attractive place for European firms to sell vehicles and fuel growth.

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Luxury in China

As LVMH returns to growth, is the slump in China’s luxury market finally over?

LVMH saw its sales in China rise in the second half of 2025, as the vast Chinese luxury market shows signs of recovery.

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Two shoppers view the handbags they just bought at a Louis Vuitton store in Shanghai. China’s luxury market is showing signs of recovery after a sharp decline in sales in 2024. Photo: Getty Images
China’s private sector

Partnerships, not plants: Chinese companies rethink overseas expansion strategy

Executives are urging a measured approach as Chinese firms turn to global markets amid intensifying competition at home.

Belt and Road Initiative

Opinion | China’s slowing overseas investment reflects caution, not retreat

Amid rising protectionism and increased pushback in advanced economies, Beijing is strategically recalibrating its investments abroad.

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China jobs

Is China about to end its after-school tutoring ban? A huge fine suggests not

Speculation was growing that Beijing would relax a ban on for-profit tutoring to boost the economy. Then a firm was hit with a US$9.7 million penalty.

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China banned for-profit academic tutoring in 2021 as part of a wider “double reduction” policy aimed at reducing the pressure on students. Photo: Shutterstock
Banking & finance

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China-Latin America relations

China’s CMOC makes US$1 billion Brazil gold push as bullion jumps on rising global risks

Company gains three Brazilian mines as gold tops US$5,000 per ounce, highlighting Beijing’s resource push amid US-led geopolitical strains.

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US-China trade war

Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it

As US president courts rural voters before midterms, growers fear Beijing may retaliate against Trump policies by curbing purchases again.

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China consumption

China’s consumer spending push faces major challenge – debt-averse households

Beijing has renewed its focus on boosting domestic demand in recent months, but households are cutting debt at fastest pace in years.

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National retail sales grew by 3.7 per cent in 2025, below the 5 per cent GDP growth rate. Beijing has made boosting consumer spending a top policy priority in recent years, though results have been mixed. Photo: Xinhua
China manufacturing

Over 70% of European firms in China review supply chain strategies: survey

The findings show how European firms must maintain a delicate balancing act between China’s tight security and focus on self-reliance.

A growing number of European businesses are setting up two separate supply chain systems – one for China and the other for the rest of the world. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Opinion | How a rising China is becoming a provider of global public goods

When China provides the hi-tech, low-cost hardware of development and multilateral banks provide regulatory oversight, the Global South wins.

China's economic recovery

China tightens rail approvals as Xi warns on waste and ‘operational’ trouble

Intercity lines face stricter break-even rules, as the central government cracks down on ‘back-door’ metro projects and looks to curb redundant infrastructure spending.

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