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Chinese outbound direct investment was up 11.1 per cent in 2025 year on year, according to a new government report. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

China is investing record amounts overseas. Why are US-bound flows plunging?

Chinese investment in the US has fallen to its lowest level since 2011 amid tighter scrutiny and trade tensions.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

What a 2-month trade-truce extension reveals as US-China rifts persist

2026 Xi-Trump summits

‘Deep respect’: analysts weigh in on Trump’s red carpet welcome for Xi

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China exports

China has scrapped two-thirds of its planned coal power plants abroad: report

The cutbacks have saved 6.4 billion tonnes of potential carbon emissions, though campaign’s momentum slowed last year, report finds.

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Women sit on a hill overlooking a coal power plant in Indonesia. The country is a hotspot for Chinese energy investment. Photo: AP
Women sit on a hill overlooking a coal power plant in Indonesia. The country is a hotspot for Chinese energy investment. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

US$365 trillion and counting: the world’s total debt hits record high, IIF finds

Debt climbs US$10 trillion in six months as fiscal strains deepen, exposing cracks in household and corporate balance sheets.

China consumption

Boosting China’s social safety net could address consumption woes: IMF director

The global organisation found that savings of rural households decrease when social and healthcare spending is higher.

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US-China relations

China’s US dollar holdings

China’s direct holdings of US Treasuries fell to an 18-year low in August as the country shifts to buying the bonds via Europe while continuing to diversify by increasing gold reserves.

China’s US dollar holdings
Yuan

Digital yuan push quickens as Ant International spurs instant cross-border flows

The Shanghai-to-Hong Kong settlements worth hundreds of millions of yuan bypassed traditional channels and could accelerate Beijing’s broader yuan strategy.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV battery giant CATL starts trial production in Hungary

Analyst says development could see it secure massive orders from global marques such as BMW and Volkswagen.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why China’s top AI pioneers are expected to miss this week’s Xi-Trump summit

Beijing has not officially announced details of the delegation, but the leaders of DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are absent from the reported list.

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President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Beijing on May 14. Photo: Kyodo
China trade

Once key economic weapon, US-China soy trade offers fragile relief from tensions

As the two nations address disputes ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, some American soybean farmers say they are in a better position than in 2025.

A farmer shovels soybeans in Nebraska on April 6. Photo: AP
A farmer shovels soybeans in Nebraska on April 6. Photo: AP
China-EU relations

A shift by China towards service-based economy may realign trade, EU group says

The nation has seen little progress towards addressing ‘involution’, with output still growing beyond absorption rate, says an EU trade group.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

In Focus | The US-China tech war has evolved since Xi and Trump last met. Who has the edge?

The two sides have found new sources of leverage across AI, chips, rare earths and wider technology supply chains since the US leader’s May visit to Beijing.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Rising toll of US-China trade, tech curbs in focus ahead of summit

Impacts of reciprocal restrictions eroding profits, disrupting supply chains and intensifying market competition are back in the spotlight.

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US chipmaker Nvidia recorded a US$400 million charge for excess H200 inventory and purchase obligations. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

Canada sells more oil and gas to China as relations with US sour

China’s imports of Russian energy products also rise sharply as Beijing diversifies its energy supplies.

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The Imperial Oil refinery in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on September 2. Photo: Reuters
The Imperial Oil refinery in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on September 2. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Chinese province urges firms to capitalise on warm US ties before Xi-Trump talks

Eastern manufacturing centre Zhejiang asks traders to find opportunities for US exports in rare period of detente in run-up to leaders’ summit.

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China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Trade is never free’: former WTO chief Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China challenge

He says Chinese authorities’ lack of interest in addressing structural macroeconomic imbalance a ‘huge problem’ for European Union.

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2026 Xi-Trump summits

Up in the air? Why Boeing’s massive China deal could hinge on Trump-Xi talks

Beijing agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets during Trump’s visit to China in May. But the deal has yet to materialise – and could depend on summit outcome.

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An Air China Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis to a runway before takeoff at Beijing Capital Airport on May 9, 2026. Photo: AFP
An Air China Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis to a runway before takeoff at Beijing Capital Airport on May 9, 2026. Photo: AFP
China-Middle East relations

Chinese firms keen on Oman’s International Financial Centre: official

Neutrality amid US-Israel war on Iran cited as an advantage, as well as location of ports away from Strait of Hormuz.

Kazakhstan

Reporter’s notebook: Kazakhstan trip shows promise, limits of Central Asia ties

It will soon be possible to fly direct from Hong Kong to Almaty, but in the meantime a little flexibility is required.

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China energy security

China’s crude imports are rising again. What will that mean for oil prices?

China’s plunging oil imports prevented a bigger price spike after the Iran war broke out, but its crude purchases are now ticking up again.

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Drivers line up to refuel at a petrol station in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Photo: EPA
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Xi-Trump summit preview: what are the best and worst scenarios?

Tariff cuts or a new 7.5 per cent duty on China? Possible outcomes on the cards as leaders navigate a trade truce and a widening tech schism.

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Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrive for a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People during Trump’s visit to Beijing in May. Photo: AP
Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrive for a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People during Trump’s visit to Beijing in May. Photo: AP
China-EU relations

Brussels announces dates for next round of China-EU trade talks in Beijing

October 8-9 schedule revealed after video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

US-China tech war

In Focus | China’s rocket recovery was a space race milestone. Is a relaunch within reach?

SpaceX might have a head start in reusable rockets, but Chinese commercial space companies are exploring ways to catch up in the cost-saving tech.

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China-EU relations

Von der Leyen’s ‘China shock’ speech aimed to send Beijing a message: analysts

The EU leader’s speech was light on specifics, but aimed to signal firm stance ahead of looming trade talks with Beijing, analysts say.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference in Strasbourg. Photo: Reuters
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