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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.
A staff member tests a humanoid robot from a company based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

Guangdong boosts AI and robotics subsidies after DeepSeek’s success

A new initiative seeks to position Guangdong as a ‘global highland’ for AI and robotics, following DeepSeek’s success.

China's social credit system

China’s complex social credit system evolves with 23 new guidelines from Beijing

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Made in China 2025

Stay humble? China ranks itself 10th in new global innovation league table

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China manufacturing

China’s factory activity speeds up on export boost, Caixin PMI shows

But China’s macroeconomic policies must be ‘more proactive and decisive’, with immediate implementations, to support a recovery, economist says.

A worker welds at a steel-processing factory on Saturday. China’s factory activity showed signs of speeding up in March. Photo: Xinhua
Belt and Road Initiative

Who is Zou Jiayi, China’s pick to be the next president of the AIIB?

The 61-year-old former vice-minister of finance would be the development bank’s first female leader.

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Hong Kong

My Take | Labubu proves Hong Kong IP and Chinese manufacturing are a recipe for success

The blind-box retailer’s mass-market toys based on cute Hong Kong designs are fuelling its international rise – and setting a template.

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China's economic recovery

Cash-strapped Chinese suppliers staying credit-conscious in 2025: survey

With China’s economy still in recovery, firms are less likely to extend credit for sales as many of their outstanding payments remain unfulfilled.

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China’s private firms are more wary of making sales on credit as the broader economic environment remains uncertain. Photo: Xinhua
Diplomacy

Opinion | In a broken world, China-Japan-Korea cooperation is Asia’s backbone

By blending economic might, technological prowess and cultural bonds, cooperation can be elevated into a transformative, inspiring force.

Microsoft

Microsoft shutters AI lab in Shanghai, continuing China retreat

The IoT & AI Insider Lab in the Zhangjiang hi-tech zone likely closed in January or February, nearby workers say.

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China airliners

Flying taxis: China clears way for first companies to begin offering services

Chinese regulators have for the first time granted companies approval to operate autonomous passenger drones.

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The EHang 184, an autonomous aerial vehicle designed to carry one passenger, performs a test flight in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. EHang has become one of the first companies in China to receive approval to put its passenger drones into operation. Photo: Reuters
Science

How AI revolution at a Chinese coal mine is making profits soar

China’s Dahaize Mine is rewriting the playbook on how a coalfield operates as automation takes centre stage.

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Liang Yunfeng inspects smart machines at a Dahaize underground coal mine. Photo: Journal of Intelligent Mine
China food security

Beijing bids adieu to ‘basic’ farmland with plan to supercharge soil

When it’s basic farmland vs ‘well-facilitated’ farmland, the latter considerably outperforms in cost and yield.

China property

No respite in sight for Chinese developers as profits continue to slump

China Overseas Land & Investment’s profit sank 40 per cent to 15.6 billion yuan, while Country Garden trimmed its loss to 32.8 billion yuan.

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China trade

Lao Airlines cruising to first C909 – a milestone for the made-in-China aircraft

China’s aircraft manufacturer continues spreading its wings abroad with fresh deals to supply passenger jets to Asian neighbours.

This China-made C909 will operate in Laos and have 90 seats. Photo: CCTV
Banking & finance

Chinese banks raise consumer loan rates from record low to protect margins

Banks will offer consumer loans at 3 per cent to boost their net interest margins, which hit a low of 1.52 per cent at the end of last year.

Chinese banks are lifting their consumer loan rates. Photo: AFP
Robotics

Venture capital veteran Allen Zhu questions humanoid robots’ value

Zhu, who famously backed Didi Chuxing and RedNote, says early-stage venture capitalists should steer away from the embodied-AI sector.

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China's economic recovery

China’s capital outflow pressure may continue for now, top economists warn

Article on social media suggests US policy, low consumer sentiment will continue to motivate capital flight, though movement is likely to be slower.

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China's economic recovery

China’s factory activity accelerates in March even as US ramps up tariffs

China’s manufacturing activity hit a 12-month high as Beijing introduced a slew of measures to boost the economy.

China’s factory activity remained resilient in March despite US moves to raise tariffs on Chinese imports. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

HSBC bets big on Hong Kong to tap Asia’s wealth-management boom: Elhedery

HSBC’s customers base increased to 6.2 million last year from 5.4 million, showing the importance of the city, Elhedery says.

Electric & new energy vehicles

China to crack down on unfair EV price cuts to stabilise industry

China vows to combat unfair pricing and misinformation by EV players, as it aims to stabilise growth and profitability of the sector.

China property

Shanghai’s luxury property market thrives while mass housing segment deteriorates

More than 60 per cent of the 4,110 new homes in China priced above 30 million yuan were sold in Shanghai last year, according to CRIC data.

Luxury property prices in Shanghai are rising while prices of mass-market homes are falling. Photo: EPA-EFE
China-Russia relations

Car trouble: is a drop in China-Russia auto shipments a bad omen for trade?

As the US attempts to peel Russia away from China, Moscow and Beijing’s auto trade has slowed. Is Donald Trump’s plan working?

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China and Russia’s previously ironclad trade ties may be softening as the US attempts to bring Moscow out of Beijing’s orbit. Photo: Reuters
Art

Christie’s and Sotheby’s Hong Kong auctions underwhelm as sales hit 6-year low

The world’s leading auction houses made a combined US$89.2 million, the lowest since autumn 2018, according to data from ArtTactic.

Boao Forum for Asia

China’s back-to-back forums a reminder of how quickly things can change

At high-profile gatherings this week, notions of China’s rise and the West’s decline were in vogue – but in today’s world, attitudes change fast.

Electric & new energy vehicles

Self navigating to the top: why China leads the global autonomous-driving race

After stamping their authority on EV technology, Chinese firms make strides in adding self-driving features.

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Illustration by Lau Ka-kuen
China’s C919 passenger plane

Home-grown CJ-1000 engine to soon be tested on China’s C919 passenger jet

Aviation forum hears that engine’s performance in trial runs exceeds ‘most optimistic expectations’.

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A China Eastern Airlines C919 at Hong Kong International Airport in January. Photo: Eugene Lee
Mainland China

Editorial | China’s austerity is very different to that in US

Beijing is targeting wasteful spending on projects and misuse of public money by officials, not savings to finance tax cuts.

China trade

With its chips on the table, Taiwan seen avoiding the worst US tariffs

Taiwan falls under the 15 per cent of the world Trump has flagged for its trade imbalance with the US, so tariff risk still looms in coming days.

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