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China economy

China economy
Breaking news and analysis on China’s economy, including its opening up, the US-China trade war, the impact of tariffs and trade talks, growth rates and other key economic data, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Greater Bay Area plan.
The Chinese yuan may be used more widely in cross-border payments than conventional data suggests, analysts say. Photo: AFP
Yuan

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

Many yuan transactions are now routed through China’s own global payment system, which often does not show up in traditional data sets, analysts say.

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Mainland China

Letters | Can China pursue tech self-sufficiency and market openness at once?

China GDP

Open Questions | Andrew Tilton on China’s economic trajectory in wake of Iran war

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China consumption

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.

A huge, ship-shaped Louis Vuitton cultural and retail landmark is seen in Shanghai. China’s luxury spending is expected to help drive a global rebound this year. Photo: Getty Images
China property

From ghost to giant: long skyscraper saga nears finish amid China property woes

Once deemed a ‘ghost tower’ and a benchmark of unfinished projects, the 596-metre building’s state-backed revival reflects efforts to rebuild confidence in fragile market.

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Artificial intelligence

How can Beijing lure top-tier Chinese AI professionals based abroad?

Strategy would help country transition from ‘major trainer’ of talent to ‘development highland’ as tech competition with US intensifies.

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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.

Analysts say Japanese retailers must adapt more quickly to China’s evolving retail landscape. Photo: Shutterstock
China technology

China’s GPS rival, BeiDou, dominates at home. Now, it aims to convert the world

China is overhauling its home-grown satellite navigation system as part of a push to expand the network’s global influence.

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Artificial intelligence

Competition or ‘co-opetition’: how is convergence shaping Sino-US AI race?

Speech by CEO of Chinese AI start-up at Nvidia event in US highlights symbiotic nature of tech relationship despite geopolitical tensions.

China-Australia relations

Australia’s 180-degree shift from 5 years ago: China in favour; US out

Aussie comedian exposes the truth about nation’s feelings towards US president, democracy and public safety.

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An Australian tour revealed the nation’s growing sentiment of warming to China, while Trump’s tariffs and foreign policy have increasingly seen the US viewed with suspicion or as ‘unsafe’. Photo: AP
US-China relations

Washington launches export initiative to ensure ‘future of AI’ is led by US

Chinese competitors targeted as US companies invited to form consortiums to offer full-stack AI solutions around the world.

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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the Oval Office of the White House during an executive order signing event on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
China energy security

Chinese airlines shed weight, add flights over Russia to trim fuel costs

Some carriers have even removed non-essential items like in-flight magazines from their planes.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor targets global growth with Europe R&D hub, eyes Canada assembly

Chinese EV maker lifts overseas sales target as rising fuel costs and easing tariffs boost demand abroad.

China-Latin America relations

Rubio raises concerns over China’s detention of Panama-flagged ships

Panama’s decision to strip Panama Ports Company of its concessions is a test of US backing for countries challenging China, experts say.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Paris last month. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

As Xi-Trump summit approaches, tariffs continue to choke direct trade

Deficit with mainland hits two-decade low as trade shifts to Taiwan, Mexico and Vietnam amid tariff fallout and efforts to stabilise ties.

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Shipping containers wait to be transported along a railroad at the port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California, one of the busiest gateways for US trade. Photo: Reuters
China GDP

‘False proposition’: state media hits ‘China shock’ as cover for Western anxiety

The state-run Economic Daily says the real problem with the global economy is not China’s strong exports, but rising protectionism.

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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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China energy security

Chinese airline regulator faces dilemma as Iran war sends fuel costs soaring

Pending announcement from regulator, two airlines reveal plans for sixfold increase in surcharges.

A China Eastern Airlines plane takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Photo: Xinhua
China property

Opinion | Reinflate the property sector? No, China wants an ambitious redesign

Beijing is attempting a difficult pivot: transforming real estate from a debt-driven growth engine into a pillar of a consumption-led economy.

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China-Latin America relations

Brazil exporters bypass local banks to tap China’s US$1 trillion Sinosure fund

As Brazilian interest rates price out local lenders, Sinosure is quietly reshaping how Chinese goods reach the market.

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China trade

Qiushi reaffirms China’s trade push, calls old export-led growth ‘unsustainable’

Global tensions, weak high-end exports, and record trade surpluses are spurring a strategic shift to boost imports, develop services trade and deepen market integration.

Vehicles await export at a port in China’s Jiangsu province on March 15. A commentary in the latest issue of the Qiushi Journal says the traits of China’s economy render an export-driven growth model “unsustainable”. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

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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Chinese Premier Li Qiang is displayed on a large screen live broadcasting his speech at the opening of the China Development Forum held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 22. Photo: AP
China energy security

Australia and Japan face jet fuel supply crunch as China cuts exports

Both Australia and Japan are heavily reliant on Chinese jet fuel, but shipments have plunged in recent weeks amid the Iran war.

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China travel

China builds record-breaking underwater tunnels to unite eastern, western hubs

China is building new high-speed rail lines that dive underneath major waterways, providing fast services without disrupting shipping traffic.

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China property

Top Chinese developers’ losses mount as debt overhaul props up operations

Analysts say subdued demand and cautious buyers persist, with one-off debt restructuring masking deeper losses in the sector.

A residential building under construction by China Vanke in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in March 2024. Photo: AFP
Chinese culture

As I see it | Why China is always misunderstood and misrepresented

By insisting on the superiority of its own standards of judgment and experience, the West distorts the realities of other societies.

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A man walks past a large sculpture of the Communist Party flag at the Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition in Beijing, on March 1. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

Why spike in fertiliser prices could boost China’s political clout

Beijing could see its regional leverage grow as the Iran war hits supply, though weaponisation of exports is unlikely, analysts say.

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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