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China consumption

China consumption
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China consumption. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang in eastern China’s Anhui province on September 13, 2024. Photo: AFP
China birth rate

In China, a France-sized population loss begins to test coastal powerhouses

Rising pension burdens and social security subsidies are also straining public finances – though trends remain uneven, analysts say.

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China GDP

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

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Pop Mart

Pop Mart comes with a cool idea for red-hot Labubu: mini-fridges

China manufacturing

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

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A humanoid robot is modified at a facility in China’s Shandong province last month. The nation has seen rapid developments in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related industries. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

Beijing ramps up tax crackdown, frames consumption levies as fiscal lifelines

Authorities target retailers, shell companies and off-the-books manoeuvres to lessen tax liabilities.

Pop Mart

China’s Pop Mart eyes expansion at home and abroad for its Pop Land theme park

The company’s sole theme park in Beijing will launch its upgraded Labubu Forest Zone on Thursday.

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China GDP

China beats expectations with 5% growth in first GDP release since Iran war

‘Stronger than expected’ growth figure indicates minimal impact from the conflict and a low likelihood for near-term stimulus, analysts said.

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A coil of copper is moved at an electrical materials factory in Dongyang, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
China property

As I see it | Helpful analysts predict China property recovery now, soon and much later

While some economists draw parallels with Japan’s ‘lost decade’, others note key differences when it comes to China’s sluggish recovery.

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China inflation

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

The producer price index rose by 0.5 per cent in March, the first increase since 2022, as soaring global commodity prices affected Chinese firms.

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
China's economic recovery

Xi Jinping backs services sector to power China’s next growth phase

Beijing is counting on services to rebalance growth as it faces economic headwinds and demographic challenges.

President Xi Jinping chairs a symposium in the Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei province, on March 23. Photo: Xinhua
Retailing

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.

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.

Hong Kong stock market

China’s Pop Mart struggles despite buy-backs as Labubu reliance sparks concerns

Toymaker’s shares have fallen nearly 50 per cent since February as investors weigh slowing overseas growth and dependence on flagship line.

Pop Mart has stepped up efforts to support its share price through buy-backs. Photo: Getty Images
China energy security

Open Questions | Iran war to test China’s self-reliance, Goldman Sachs economist says

Andrew Tilton, Goldman’s chief Asia-Pacific economist, on Iran conflict’s impacts, why exports continue to drive China’s growth and an end to its housing slump.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China economy

Opinion | Global businesses are piling back into China, drawn by its stability

For all its structural challenges, China offers something the West no longer seems to: policy continuity and a sense of stability.

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China inflation

China has ‘room’ for imported inflation, but economic risks rising: PBOC adviser

As US-Israel war with Iran sends prices up, a monetary expert says impact on China depends on conflict’s severity, while higher energy costs are worrying.

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China food security

How China’s massive pig farms created a serious pork supply glut

Vast hog farms – some rising 26 storeys high – have caused China’s pig herd to swell, but consumers dislike the industrially produced meat.

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Pigs feed inside a sprawling 26-storey hog farm in central China’s Hubei province. Photo: Xinhua
China technology

China’s sci-fi industry rides a tech wave as revenues hit record high

China’s sci-fi industry has built on the success of breakout hits like ‘The Three-Body Problem’, with revenues up over 15 per cent last year.

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US-China relations

As China’s property downturn grinds on, foreign suppliers strive to adapt

US lift giant Otis is riding a growing trend for retrofitting older buildings in China, as new construction projects remain thin on the ground.

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Food and agriculture

How ‘salmon’ raised in landlocked Xinjiang is netting fans in China

Aquaculture in the far-western region is expected to grow even more rapidly after a dependence on imported eggs is diminished or ended.

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Workers process “Xinjiang salmon” at Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture’s processing plant in Yili, Xinjiang. Photo: Handout
Mainland China

China consumer firms post strong results but analysts warn recovery may lag

Hong Kong-listed consumer firms report strong results but analysts say the gains reflect structural shifts rather than broad recovery.

People queue to enter a shop in Liuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on March 10. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

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Two Sessions 2026

Opinion | To unlock consumption, China must go local

China’s consumption drive will test Beijing’s willingness to give local governments room to experiment.

China society

Opinion | China’s high household savings reflect old values and new anxieties

Economic uncertainties strengthen the deep cultural instinct for thrift. Policies must address the anxieties that make saving feel necessary.

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Shoppers test sofas outside a mall in Beijing. Retailers in Beijing and other major Chinese cities are increasingly moving product displays into public areas to boost spending. Photo: AP
China jobs

Survey shows China’s professionals have high expectations – for low pay

As some Chinese workers switch jobs to boost salaries, many remain pessimistic about pay increases amid economic uncertainty.

Hays found that 51 per cent of professionals in China also received no pay rise in 2025, a sign of wider pressures in the job market. Photo: Shutterstock
Mainland China

Video | Chinese brands carve out place in snow gear market

Growing number of Chinese ski resorts are turning to local snow equipment as the nation’s ‘ice and snow’ economy develops.

Shanghai

How record F1 crowds are accelerating Shanghai’s bid to be a global sports hub

Setting a near 20-year attendance record, this year’s race strengthened the city’s case as global event venue – and China’s efforts to spur consumption.

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