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A major indicator of China’s factory activity returned to expansion in December, after eight straight months of contraction. Photo: AFP

China Economy

China’s factory activity breaks 8-month contraction, but headwinds persist

China’s manufacturing PMI rose to 50.1 in December, but analysts said it was too early to point to a sustained recovery.

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 145 A320 aircraft

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Xi renews call to boost grain output after trade war sharpens food security push

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China Economy

How China is upgrading its digital yuan for the stablecoin era

Beijing is upgrading its digital currency in response to the rise of stablecoins, but the goal is to create a fundamentally different system.

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A booth promotes the digital yuan at an expo in Beijing. China is upgrading its digital currency as it aims to create an alternative to stablecoins and cryptocurrencies. Photo: AP
A booth promotes the digital yuan at an expo in Beijing. China is upgrading its digital currency as it aims to create an alternative to stablecoins and cryptocurrencies. Photo: AP

China Economy

China’s Shenzhen targets AI in ‘every household’ as US tech rivalry heats up

Local officials want to embed cutting-edge tech across society in coming five-year plan.

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Global Economy

China’s lagging basic research calls for core tech pivot, economic adviser urges

Wang Yiming says Beijing must innovate from the ground up to create deterrents against foreign supply cuts, citing missed R&D spending target.

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China Economy

China’s Hainan hosts duty-free shopping spree under new customs regime

A flurry of activity accompanied the official establishment of the island’s tariff and tax exemptions - but will the frenzy last?

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The Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
The Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

China has logged a US$1 trillion trade surplus. Where is all that money going?

Trade surplus growth has not been matched in foreign exchange reserves – a gap analysts said can be explained by private sector outflows.

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Economic Indicators

China sets yuan fixing rate at 15-month high amid offshore gains

The move follows offshore yuan briefly breaching seven-per-US-dollar mark, with analysts citing dollar weakness, seasonal factors for rally.

China Economy

No more empty trains: China tightens rules on subway expansions to curb debt

Rich hubs, including Ningbo and Suzhou, are hitting regulatory roadblocks as the central government prioritises fiscal discipline over infrastructure-led growth.

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Passengers ride a fully automated metro train in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Photo: Getty Images

China Economy

Consumer demand and public services top China’s financial priorities for 2026

National fiscal work conference ends in Beijing with pledge to spur domestic market.

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The Ministry of Finance says it will this year focus on building a robust domestic market through “vigorously boosting consumption”. Photo: Xinhua
The Ministry of Finance says it will this year focus on building a robust domestic market through “vigorously boosting consumption”. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

Why are rich Chinese moving private jets offshore, slumming it in budget seats?

Strict flight rules and economic headwinds are forcing scrutiny-wary tycoons to rebase aircraft in places such as Singapore or downgrade to commercial cabins.

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China Economy

Soaring to the top: China appoints first female captain for C919 flights

Promotion of former Boeing 737 pilot Yu Yue, who holds a ‘zero error’ record, called an inspiration to women across the nation.

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China Economy

Wild goose chase? France works to rouse China’s appetite for foie gras imports

French producers hope their famed pate can win a slice of China’s market, but price sensitivities and domestic competition could mean their goose is cooked.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

China Economy

China launches venture capital fund to lead the charge on tech investment

The fund, which will put state-backed money behind early tech bets, could guide trillions of yuan in private capital to chosen sectors.

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China’s new national venture capital fund has made investments in emerging technology like quantum computing an explicit priority. Photo: Xinhua
China’s new national venture capital fund has made investments in emerging technology like quantum computing an explicit priority. Photo: Xinhua

Policy

China bolsters e-cigarette regulations to smoke out non-compliance

The draft policy would cut down on excess capacity within e-cigarette sector and tighten enforcement of standards in production and export.

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China Economy

China’s Comac to team up with China Eastern for bigger C919 variant, sources say

Comac’s stretched model, expected to be dubbed the C919-800, could target lucrative Asian routes and seat more than 200 passengers.

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Global Economy

Why America’s brute-force effort on rare earths may not work against China

China spent decades carving out a commanding lead in the rare earth realm. Now the US wants its old piece of the supply chain back – is it still within reach?

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Illustration: Henry Wong
Illustration: Henry Wong

Global Economy

Chinese ‘vertical dramas’ are booming in America. Should Hollywood be worried?

Chinese platforms hosting bite-size soap operas about werewolves and mafia dons are drawing big audiences – and shaking up the streaming market.

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China Economy

As megacities slow, China’s smaller counties lead as new consumer hotspots

Survey last year found that nearly 80 per cent of consumers in China’s third- and fourth-tier cities were optimistic about the economy.

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China Economy

China rises up ‘elite quality’ league table as AI investment booms

China ranked 19th in the latest Elite Quality Index, which assesses whether national elites create sustainable value for their countries.

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Visitors watch humanoid robots fight at the Unitree Robotics booth during the World Robot Conference in Beijing. China has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging sectors in recent years. Photo: Reuters
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OPINION
Nicholas Spiro

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

Nicholas Spiro
David Dodwell

Outside In | As the US pursues unilateralism, China faces challenging task as Apec host

David Dodwell
Nicholas Spiro

Macroscope | Why Wall Street remains bullish on China amid economic slowdown

Nicholas Spiro
Nicholas Spiro

The View | Rebound in Hong Kong’s Central office market could be turning point

Nicholas Spiro
Christine Loh

Opinion | Arguing about China’s overcapacity overlooks its drive for clean energy

Christine Loh
Michael Han

Opinion | China’s property market isn’t so much collapsing as being reconfigured

Michael Han
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MULTIMEDIA
Video

Shares in Baby Shark creator soar on IPO debut

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Video

China’s ‘Goddess of Wealth’ jailed for over 11 years by UK court

China cryptoqueen jailed for more than 11 years by UK court over US$6.4 billion bitcoin fraud
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Video

US-China soybean row leaves farmers caught in the middle

US-China soybean row leaves farmers caught in the middle
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Why is China’s youth unemployment rate so high?

People read job information at a job fair in Haikou, south China’s Hainan Province, April 18, 2020.
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TRENDING TOPICS
China trade
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China's economic recovery
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MOST POPULAR
1

Why are rich Chinese moving private jets offshore, slumming it in budget seats?

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2

China has logged a US$1 trillion trade surplus. Where is all that money going?

3

Soaring to the top: China appoints first female captain for C919 flights

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4

Hard work, long hours fuelled China’s rise. Now, it weighs longer breaks

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China’s offshore yuan breaks major benchmark as appreciation momentum builds