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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.
Illustration: Henry Wong
Retailing

From taboo to trendy: China’s second-hand luxury market cashes in on resale boom

Driven by an uneven recovery and property crisis, value-conscious shoppers are powering a second-hand boom as platforms use tech to verify authenticity and overcome stigma.

McDonald's

Not lovin’ it: Chinese fume at McDonald’s prices, costlier ‘poor man’s meal’

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China economy

Policy body urges China to confront economic challenges, confident of recovery

China economy

‘Invest in people’: how a new slogan signals a pivot in China’s economic policy

Beijing is expected to strengthen investment in welfare, pensions, education and other public services to unleash domestic demand, analysts say.

China has pledged to focus on “investing in people” in recent policy meetings, which could indicate an increase in spending on public services. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

As China’s retail sales slow, new policy package aims to get consumers spending

Beijing asks financial institutions to help increase domestic demand by making it easier to access credit and shifting focus to services.

China economy

China’s elusive domestic demand holds key to revival of faltering economy

Getting Chinese consumers to open their wallets after property-market losses is a tough task for leaders seeking to reheat the cooling economy – it may also be the only option.

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Investing

China’s growth engines sputter as retail and investment hit in November

Retail sales grew just 1.3 per cent, with growth momentum slowing for six straight months, and January-November investment fell 2.6 per cent as the property slump persisted.

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China’s retail sales, a key gauge of consumer spending, grew by only 1.3 per cent in November, year on year, falling well short of consensus expectations. Photo: Getty Images
E-commerce

Reporter’s notebook: home test kit takes headache out of Beijing healthcare

Rapid test for flu and other respiratory ailments makes it easy to avoid long queues, showcases Chinese economy’s consumption potential.

Mainland China

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

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Commodities

Forging ahead: China’s copper heartland vows to build US$28 billion empire

Shandong province plans to create a world-class smelting hub by 2027 to secure supply chains for the strategic metal as prices sizzle.

Employees wind copper rods in July at a workshop that recycles copper in China’s Anhui province. Photo: AFP
China economy

China’s economy can probably ride out storms in 2026

Policymakers meeting in Beijing this week will probably see few reasons for new stimulus measures after China’s economy largely weathered the US trade war.

Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket
China GDP

IMF raises China growth forecast to 5% for 2025, citing resilience

The assessment is up from October’s forecast, with the fund citing government stimulus and lower tariffs as drivers.

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China's economic recovery

China’s consumer prices rise at fastest pace in nearly 2 years in November

Consumer price index rises by 0.7 per cent for the month, while factory-gate prices continue long decline.

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China's economic recovery

China warns internet platforms not to shift tax burden onto gig workers

Celebrities and high-profile influencers also under scrutiny, with regulators pursuing hundreds of such cases in recent years.

The gig workforce in China includes food delivery drivers, an industry known for its intense demands. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

Chinese minister calls for more opening-up as key planning meeting looms

Commerce Minister Wang Wentao’s remarks echo similar calls by other senior officials ahead of annual central economic work conference.

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Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has called for China to push ahead with opening-up policies over the next five years. Photo: Xinhua
Veganism and vegetarianism

Flash in the pan: how China’s plant-based meat craze fizzled

The closure of Beyond Meat’s China business, despite heavy financing and marketing, underscores challenges that scuppered many vegan meat firms.

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China GDP

China’s economic focus in 2026: what to expect as leaders prep for major meeting

Growth of ‘around 5 per cent’ may be revised to between 4.5 and 5 per cent, analysts say, as leadership gears up for tone-setting conference.

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China exports

How Chinese lifestyle brands are finding fans abroad with toys, tea and trends

From milk tea to blind boxes, China’s lighter consumer brands are winning worldwide recognition – though time will tell if the craze will last.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Banking & finance

China’s finance chief calls for fiscal firepower as Beijing weighs 2026 goals

This month’s central economic work conference will set the tone, while top finance official signals more assertive fiscal support.

Mainland China

China delivers record 180 billion parcels in 11 months as shoppers chase deals

Express deliveries have reached as high as 777 million per day in 2025 as China’s consumers turn to cut-price online platforms.

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China inflation

Pursuit of hoppiness: how China’s cash-conscious drinkers embraced craft beers

As discerning alcohol consumers seek ‘wallet-friendly’ products, premium beers are winning out over higher-end options.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China travel

China turns to school ‘snow breaks’ to warm up winter tourism industry

Ahead of next year’s record-long Spring Festival, local governments roll out short holidays to lure families to winter getaways.

Tourists enjoy leisure time on a frozen lake at the Nanhu Park in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin province, in January 2020. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | How China could solve its consumption conundrum

Beijing’s priority should be bold short-term countercyclical action: issuing US$400 vouchers and stabilising the property sector.

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China's economic recovery

Explainer | What’s next for China’s economy in 2026 – and how it plans to tackle challenges

Top investment banks forecast moderate growth next year amid trade, property and structural challenges.

China-Japan relations

Why do Chinese no longer feel the need to boycott Japanese products?

A seismic shift in the market has resulted in people preferring Chinese fashion, locally branded appliances and domestically made cars.

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A customer at a Pokemon pop-up store, featuring toys based on the Japanese animated series, in a Beijing shopping centre on November 18. Photo: Reuters
China economy

China names ‘hotspot’ sectors in 19-point plan to spur consumption

Beijing identifies products for the elderly, fitness equipment and pet food, among others, as potential sources of consumption growth.

The consumer goods exhibition area at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai earlier this month. Photo: Xinhua
China-EU relations

After peaking, decline of China’s European wine imports worries makers

Chinese drinkers are spending less amid an economic slowdown, diluting the profits of Europe’s fine wine producers.

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China's economic recovery

Why China’s film industry is banking on Zootopia 2 being a smash hit

After a tough few months, Chinese cinemas are hoping that a string of imported animated releases can offer some relief.

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