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Economic Indicators

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China posted an unexpected decline in industrial profits in the first two months of the year, in a sign that the country’s economic recovery is fragile. Photo: AP
China's economic recovery

China’s industrial profits unexpectedly fall in ominous sign for economy

Economists had predicted China’s industrial firms would record robust profit growth in the first two months of the year.

China GDP

What tariffs? Another China GDP forecast rises on fast start, capital outlays

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US-China trade war

China’s Silicon Valley sees exports slump over 16% as trade war fears rise

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Robotics

China reveals economic data on service robots for the first time

Service robots outperformed industrial robots in both growth and output in January and February, according to the statistics bureau.

A senior resident at a nursing home in Shenzhen interacts with Xia Lan, a humanoid robot. Photo: Xinhua
A senior resident at a nursing home in Shenzhen interacts with Xia Lan, a humanoid robot. Photo: Xinhua
China’s economic stimulus

China’s new plan to boost consumption is ‘most comprehensive’ since 1970s

The 30-point strategy to drive up consumer spending tackles a slew of underlying issues, from low wages to the real estate crisis.

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China consumption

China’s retail sales rise as consumption takes centre stage amid tariff blitz

January and February saw a 4 per cent increase in retail sales, stirring hopes domestic consumption can make up for a shortfall in exports.

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China's population

China’s workers flock to Shenzhen and Hangzhou as talent war heats up

The two tech hubs saw their populations swell in 2024, defying China’s broader demographic decline.

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China’s workers continue to flock to prosperous cities on the country’s southern and eastern coast in search of a better quality of life. Photo: Xinhua
China’s workers continue to flock to prosperous cities on the country’s southern and eastern coast in search of a better quality of life. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

China CPI down 0.1% in first 2 months days after inflation control target drops

February consumer inflation fell 0.7 per cent year on year, while prices at the factory gate were down 2.2 per cent.

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China trade

China’s imports, exports cool as US tariffs cast chill over trade

In the aftermath of an earlier shipment rush, China’s trade figures have dimmed in January and February as US tariffs begin to take hold.

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Two Sessions 2025

As ‘anything but China’ fades, can ‘two sessions’ spark optimism amid AI surge?

Capital markets are riding a wave of interest in Chinese tech, but geopolitics and other obstacles to investments could wipe out the rally if opportunities fizzle.

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Illustration: Davies Christian Surya
China's economic recovery

‘Gone down a lot’: why Chinese travellers are shunning US and Europe

China’s tourists are increasingly skipping Western destinations in favour of the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Travelex data shows.

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Chinese tourists take pictures near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. China’s travellers are increasingly skipping traditional Western destinations in favour of the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, currency data suggests. Photo: Reuters
Chinese tourists take pictures near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. China’s travellers are increasingly skipping traditional Western destinations in favour of the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, currency data suggests. Photo: Reuters
China deflation

‘Farmers can’t bear it!’: China’s poultry industry scrambled by falling prices

While the US faces egg shortages, China’s poultry farmers are dealing with the opposite problem: plunging prices due to chronic overproduction.

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China's economic recovery

Will China’s rust-belt regions be left behind as coastal economies surge?

Local-level debt, an imbalanced industrial structure and population outflows continue to take a hefty toll on efforts to revitalise China’s poorer regions.

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China’s economic stimulus

Foreign investment in China is falling. Can a new action plan turn it around?

China has approved a new plan to attract overseas investors, after recording its steepest drop in foreign direct investment since the 2008 financial crash last year.

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Bill Gates meets with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. China has approved a new action plan to attract more foreign investment amid an intensifying US-China trade war. Photo: AP
China's population

China’s birth crisis deepens as marriage registrations plunge to 40-year low

Only 6.1 million Chinese couples tied the knot in 2024, the lowest total since 1980, according to official data.

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Couples take part in a mass wedding at a Confucian temple in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. China’s number of marriage registrations plunged over 20 per cent in 2024, exacerbating the country’s demographic crisis. Photo: Xinhua
Couples take part in a mass wedding at a Confucian temple in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. China’s number of marriage registrations plunged over 20 per cent in 2024, exacerbating the country’s demographic crisis. Photo: Xinhua
China deflation

China faces an uphill battle to boost demand despite seasonal price rise

China’s consumer prices received a boost amid household spending rise in festival season, but ex-factory price fall extended.

Lunar New Year

China’s Lunar New Year spending spree offers hope for consumption boost

Statistics indicate domestic consumption broke several records during this year’s holiday, with lower-end spending seeing the biggest gains.

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Banking & finance

Trump tariffs push gold prices to record high as investors seek safe haven

Investor concerns about a potential global trade war have caused gold prices to soar to unprecedented levels.

Gold prices have soared amid uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Photo: Edmond So
Gold prices have soared amid uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Photo: Edmond So
China’s economic stimulus

Lunar New Year travel to China surges 200% as visa-free policies pay off

China logged a steep increase in inbound travel bookings for this year’s holiday, while the country’s outbound travel sector also showed signs of recovery.

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China’s economic stimulus

China’s factory activity growth slows again as Trump tariffs loom

A key gauge of China’s manufacturing activity unexpectedly fell in January, underlining the economic challenges Beijing faces.

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China GDP

Guangdong, missing GDP target yet again, among China’s slowest economies in 2024

Southern economic hub reports GDP growth of 3.5 per cent in 2024, the fifth-slowest rate among China’s 31 provincial jurisdictions.

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Guangzhou, capital of southern China’s Guangdong province, saw its economy grow by just 2.1 per cent in 2024. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Global trade has transformed since US President Trump’s first term: McKinsey

International trade has become significantly more politically-driven since the US president’s first term, according to McKinsey.

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Donald Trump has driven a deep shift in global trade networks since 2017, according to McKinsey. Photo: EPA-EFE
Donald Trump has driven a deep shift in global trade networks since 2017, according to McKinsey. Photo: EPA-EFE
China manufacturing

China’s factory activity contracts in January, ending 3-month expansion streak

China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index contracted in January, denying the economy an early boost in 2025.

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China's population

No more ‘dragon babies’: China’s birth figures likely to tumble again in 2025

When China recorded an uptick in births last year, some argued the country’s baby bust may be ending. But those hopes are likely to be dashed in 2025, demographers say.

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China's economic recovery

Shanghai issues more consumption vouchers after shock fall in retail sales

The Chinese economic hub saw retail sales decline for only the second time in 40 years in 2024.

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Retail sales in Shanghai fell for only the second time in more than 40 years in 2024, as consumers continue to rein in spending. Photo: EPA-EFE
China Future Tech
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
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Tech War

‘Coming out’: Huawei-related chip tool maker makes splash at Semicon China

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The booth of chip equipment maker SiCarrier drew large crowds at Semicon China on March 26, as people looked for any new information regarding the company’s latest technology. Photo: Ann Cao

Tech Trends

Google’s Android transparency shift unnerves Chinese developers

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Google decision to change the release schedule of Android source code has unnerved some Chinese developers. Photo: Shutterstock

China EVs

Chinese EV industry pressed to accelerate global expansion amid tariffs

A file photo taken on September 11, 2023, shows BYD EVs waiting to be loaded on a ship at the international container terminal of Taicang Port at Suzhou Port, in China’s eastern Jiangsu Province. Photo: AFP

Big Tech

China’s top foundry SMIC reports revenue growth in 2024, but net profits plunge

Exterior view of SMIC’s facilities in Pudong district, Shanghai on March 15, 2024. Photo: AFP

Tech

Alibaba launches AI model that can process images and video on the go

Alibaba’s open-source Qwen models have been popular options for AI developers to build upon. Photo: Reuters
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