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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.
The People’s Bank of China has unveiled a credit-rehabilitation policy to help individuals who defaulted on small loans rebuild their financial standing. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

China to hide bad debt records for pandemic-hit borrowers who repay small loans

New policy by the People’s Bank of China applies to one-off debts up to 10,000 yuan incurred since 2020, aiming to help people rebuild credit.

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Retailing

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

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

Official cites headwinds from imbalances between supply and demand, but says outlook is bright.

People choose food at an AI-powered canteen in Hebei province’s Xiongan New Area last month. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

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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.

Photo: EPA
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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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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Passengers board an Air China flight at an airport in Beijing. China’s major airlines are facing criticism for charging extra seat selection fees. Photo: Getty Images
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.

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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Customers shop at a store in Beijing on October 19. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

Chinese leaders will hold the central economic work conference in December, a closed-door meeting to discuss the top policy goals for 2026.
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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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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Parcels are piled up near an apartment building in Beijing during the Singles’ Day shopping festival in November 2020. China’s consumers continue to turn to e-commerce platforms to find cut-price deals. Photo: AP
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.

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.

Pedestrians wait for a street signal on a sidewalk as an electronic billboard shows China’s 2024 gross domestic product growth in Shanghai, taken on January 21 this year. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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