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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.
Plumes of smoke rise over Tehran, Iran, on March 1. Photo: Mowj/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images/TNS
US-China relations

Beijing on Iran war, Trump trade plan, new AI arena: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new US maritime strategy to the Iran crisis, here are highlights from SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of March 2026.

Robotics

China’s industrial robot output accelerates as factories ramp up deployment

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Leapmotor’s Stellantis tie-up pays off as EV exports jump nearly 400% last year

US-China trade war

China and the US end trade talks in Paris as doubts form over Trump visit

The two sides held deep, frank and constructive consultations, China’s top international negotiator says.

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Chinese vice minister of commerce Li Chenggang gives his assessment of two days of meetings with US counterparts in Paris on Monday. Photo: Reuters
China consumption

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.

Mainland China

Guess says it will shut all mainland China stores amid retail rethink

US fashion brand tells customers it will close all mainland China stores by end of March as analysts cite weak localisation, strategy gaps.

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China GDP

China’s economy starts 2026 strongly as retail sales, investment rise

Before the Iran energy crisis and latest round of China-US trade talks, retail spending grew 2.8 per cent while fixed-asset investment increased 1.8 per cent.

People shop at a duty-free shopping mall in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province, on December 18, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
US-China trade war

China and US trade talks off to a low-key start after first meeting in Paris

Discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and rare earths ahead of crucial Xi-Trump summit later this month in Beijing.

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US-China relations

Opinion | 3 realities shaping China-US tech competition

Beijing’s policy priorities point to a more intense, multidimensional contest, with a smaller but still meaningful space for cooperation.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

China’s Great Wall Motor is in talks with Mercedes-Benz to share the German carmaker’s factory in East London, South Africa. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

China and US begin fresh round of trade talks in Paris

Discussions expected to focus on trade, investment and rare earths ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China later this month.

Senior officials from the United States and China have begun a fresh round of trade talks in Paris. Photo: AFP
China consumption

Chinese bubble tea chain Mixue straps in for theme park project

World’s largest food-service chain is looking to monetise its Snow King mascot and give a boost to hometown economy.

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong can play vital part in boosting crucial China-India relations

India is a vibrant, emerging and complex power with much to offer the city and China as a whole.

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US-China trade war

US-China trade talks: what to expect as senior officials meet in Paris

Both sides have short-term incentives to maintain their ‘trade truce’ so they can focus on dealing with domestic issues, analysts say.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, left, shakes hands with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng during trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, last year. The two officials are set to lead another round of talks in Paris this weekend. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

Trade talks, ‘raising lobsters’, tech earnings

This week: US-China trade negotiators ready for talks in Paris, AI agent OpenClaw sweeps China, the ‘two sessions’ ends and exports surge. Next week: Tencent and Alibaba post earnings, retail sales leads data rush, Japan’s Takaichi visits the White House and more.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in May. Photo: Handout via Reuters
China's population

Can AI help China cushion economic fallout from its rapidly ageing population?

As fertility rates fall, Asian economies face a daunting challenge – sustaining growth with fewer workers.

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Chow Tai Fook

Bling it on: Chow Tai Fook’s US$115,000 gold AirPods case sparks online buzz

Gold gadgets and hair clips ignite discussion online as the jeweller looks to the ultra-rich to set the gold standard for luxury spending.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Tesla’s 91% February sales jump in China defies overall market slowdown

The US carmaker’s Shanghai Gigafactory delivered nearly 58,600 vehicles last month, with the Model Y topping the sales chart.

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Tesla cars are displayed outside a showroom in Chongqing, China. Photo: Getty Images
Two Sessions 2026

China’s central-local fiscal flows should be parent-child relationship: adviser

‘Central finance is like a father … while local governments are like children,’ tax policy expert says, affirming support for revenue-sharing reforms.

China consumption

Beijing urged to boost rural pensions as lawmakers fight for farmers’ fair share

Appeals highlight a long-standing lack of benefits for elderly citizens outside cities, and proposals include leveraging state assets and new taxes to bridge the vast disparity.

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Two Sessions 2026

Editorial | China’s ‘two sessions’ passes smoothly despite global turmoil

As long as China focuses on economic development, Hong Kong can leverage its unique strengths to seize opportunities.

Delegates chat after the second plenary meeting of the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 9. Photo: EPA
US, Israel war on Iran

In a new age of disorder, is it time for China to rethink non-intervention?

With the Iran crisis, the world is in a ‘jungle phase’ and Beijing should work on interventionism 2.0, government adviser says.

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The Thai‑flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree smoulders after being hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Navy
China exports

Chinese firms should focus on stable regions when going global: entrepreneur

Escalating Middle East conflict, currency fluctuations make destinations like Southeast Asia, Australia attractive, top business leader says.

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US-China trade war

Trump’s tariff investigation ‘bluff’ will not work on China, analysts warn

Beijing has grown wise to the US president’s ‘art of the deal’ tactics and will not be fazed by the new Section 301 investigations, analysts say.

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Artificial intelligence

Amid OpenClaw frenzy, China’s central bank adds to cybersecurity warnings

People’s Bank of China says deployment of AI in financial sector should be ‘proactive yet prudent, safe and orderly’.

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People queue at Baidu’s headquarters in Beijing on Wednesday to have OpenClaw installed on their laptops. Photo: AFP
China food security

China targets record food-security push in shadow of US-Israeli war with Iran

Beijing is pushing for bigger harvests in its new five-year plan, coinciding with renewed pressure on global supply chains.

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Workers harvest rice in China’s Zhejiang province in October. Photo: Xinhua
China airliners

China’s 5-year jet goals target C919 output, a new engine and less reliance

Amid geopolitical risks and supply-chain disruptions, Beijing is looking to shore up self-sufficiency in aircraft components, and an analyst says it has its work cut out.

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China manufacturing

China’s industrial policy goes global, challenging decades of free market rule

China’s tighter embrace of industrial policy in recent years has transformed its economy – and other countries are following suit.

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