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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 tractor moves material at a rare earth mine in California. US efforts to source more critical metals domestically could help reduce dependence on China. Photo: Reuters
China trade

‘Making a dent’: race is on to reap rare earths elsewhere amid China’s dominance

‘If China imposes export restrictions on rare earth components, the US will just find alternative sources,’ former AmCham China chair says, pointing to challenges.

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US-China trade war

Lutnick says US-China trade talks could spill into a third day

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Apple

Apple’s most sweeping software redesign disappoints mainland Chinese consumers

Banking & finance

Labubu becomes bait for China’s Ping An Bank to lure young customers

Tactic draws attention of regulators as retail banks on the mainland struggle to attract young customers, analysts say.

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A shopper reaches for a Labubu doll at Popland, a theme park opened by Chinese toy company Pop Mart, in Beijing, on June 2, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE
Artificial intelligence

My Take | What will China look like in 2030? A forecast on the next 5-year plan

China is likely to leverage advanced technology to boost manufacturing, achieving self-sufficiency while becoming an indispensable exporter.

Robotics

China turns to robots for elderly care with national pilot programme

Amid a demographic crisis, the government is encouraging the use of robots to care for senior citizens in institutional and home settings.

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US-China trade war

US soybean farmers move to reduce dependence on China as trade war grinds on

But despite the push to diversify, China still a promising market for exports, industry insiders say.

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Minnesota Farm Bureau president Dan Glessing loads soybeans into his planter on May 8, 2025, near Waverly, Minnesota, US. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Why Trump’s nuclear export controls won’t stop China, may hurt US firms: analysts

While Washington has the advantage in semiconductors, nuclear power is a different story, analysts say.

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China trade

Ahead of US trade talks, China’s rare earth trade data from May sends a message

China’s curbs on rare earth exports are reflected in trade data as value plummets in May, and risks to US supply chain are seen.

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China-Africa relations

Egypt is replacing Cairo – and China is helping build the new capital

Chinese construction giant will build, operate and maintain Egypt’s newest city which will replace Cairo as the country’s capital.

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Egypt’s new capital city, known as the New Administrative Capital or New Cairo, is being built by a Chinese construction giant. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s Geely hits the brakes on new plant construction globally: Li Shufu

Billionaire chairman says mainland China’s second-largest carmaker will focus on improving technological capabilities.

Geely cars are assembled at the carmaker’s plant in Guiyang city in southwest China’s Guizhou province. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

US tariffs hit China’s exports in May, but June seen as ‘a better month’

Data comes after China and the United States agreed to a temporary truce in their tit-for-tat tariff escalations last month.

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Brazil

Editorial | As US door shuts, Brazilian one opens

China is increasingly turning to South America for mutually beneficial trade as Washington’s scattergun policies prove self-defeating.

Banking & finance

Open Dialogue | Is the US dollar’s decline inevitable? Kenneth Rogoff and Yu Yongding weigh in

The two economists reflect on how the Trump administration’s recent actions have harmed the US dollar – and handed China a golden opportunity.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China jobs

‘It’s too much’: Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as policies harden

Young Chinese express dismay at Britain’s rising tuition fees and tough new visa policies – but say it’s still better than Trump’s America.

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Rising tuition fees and tightening visa policies in the United Kingdom are pushing some Chinese students to pursue degrees elsewhere. Photo: Shutterstock
China's population

Pay dads to parent? How China could fix birth rate crisis, according to new research

As Beijing grapples with population decline, new research argues subsidies for fathers could tackle falling global fertility rates.

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China manufacturing

Baijiu blues and plum pickings: tastes of China’s Gen Z rewrite liquor industry

Young Chinese are driving a shift from the traditional white spirit to fruity, lower-alcohol beverages, in a sign of as evolving lifestyles.

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China manufacturing

Macroscope | How China’s overlooked financial system enabled its industrial success

China’s industrial policy could not have succeeded without a financial system harnessed in the service of balanced growth.

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Nio workers inspect a vehicle chassis on an automated production line in Hefei, China, on January 17. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

As US-China rivalry squeezes Asian markets, is taking sides even an option?

Analysts break down what the protracted power plays between Washington and Beijing mean for Asian economies as they walk a tightrope of risks vs rewards.

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US-China trade war

No polled US firms in China shifting production back to US, AmCham survey finds

‘Instead, they are localising operations or shifting some production to third countries,’ the American Chamber of Commerce says after poll of 112 member companies in China.

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US-China trade war

Xi-Trump phone call fails to spark much enthusiasm on Chinese factory floors

Disillusioned by US president’s shifting policy positions, many manufacturers want to see clearer signals before they make major moves.

A worker moves car parts destined for export at a GWM factory in Chongqing on May 21. Photo: Xinhua
Donald Trump

Video | Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan and trade during call

US president says he has accepted an invitation to visit China and extended his own offer of a visit to Xi

Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off
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Made in China 2025

China eyes 10 new national data zones in digital economy push, AI race with US

Beijing targets a booming data industry, turning some regions into digital leaders to advance cutting-edge tech.

China’s economic stimulus

Local governments halt some subsidies ahead of China’s big 618 shopping festival

Abrupt halt to shopping vouchers – meant to stimulate consumption and boost economy – comes as a surprise, with depleted funds and ‘programme upgrades’ cited.

Censorship in China

China will drop the Great Firewall for some users, but only in southern Hainan

Employees of companies operating in the island province can apply for the ‘Global Connect’ scheme, but some content will remain restricted.

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China’s so-called Great Firewall enforces one of the strictest internet censorship regimes in the world. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China trade war

Trump-Xi call: US to allow Chinese students, mineral trade to resume

US president says he has accepted an invitation to visit China and extended his own offer of a visit to Xi.

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The phone call between Donald Trump (left) and Xi Jinping is seen as an endorsement of efforts to de-escalate the trade war. Photo: AFP/TNS
China energy security

China hopes to power AI boom with green energy in new data centre strategy

Beijing’s new plan links data centres to renewables as power demand from high-end computing surges.

Video | Why are China’s young people looking for a rural reset?

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