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

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China’s rare earth magnet exports to EU jump nearly 60% as approvals take effect

China economy

China’s urban revival

Panzhihua in Sichuan province, China.

Economy

China Economy

China’s old industrial cities race to reinvent themselves in rapidly changing economy

Illustration by Lau Ka-kuen

 An aerial drone photo taken on July 9 shows a view of an iron ore mine of Pangang Group in Panzhihua city, southwest China’s Sichuan province. Photo: Xinhua

Panzhihua in Sichuan province, China. Photo: Mandy Zuo

Once China’s answer to Pittsburgh, steel hub Panzhihua faces same challenge as other old industrial cities: how to avoid ‘rust belt’ decline.


China’s urban revival and the Datong contradiction: when planning is a double-edged sword

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

In this 2016 image of Datong city, Shanxi province, residential houses are seen demolished as part of the local government’s efforts to rebuild large portions of the city with traditional-style homes and attract more tourists. Photo: Simon Song

A view of Datong city last month shows the contrast between the revitalised old town in the foreground and the new town in the background. Photo: Ji Siqi

Why is the famed demolition and reconstruction approach that bottled lightning in Datong city increasingly seen as outdated? And what are the alternatives?


‘Unforgivable’: Chinese county still living in shadow of wild spending binge

Illustration: Henry Wong

A hotel has finally opened on the site of the Shuisi Tower in Dushan county, Guizhou province. The building was built at enormous cost in the 2010s, but sat empty for years amid a local debt crisis. Photo: Luna Sun

Dushan county invested about 5.6 billion yuan on Pangu Manor, a huge commercial complex built in the shape of a giant altar. Today, the site is mostly empty. Photo: Luna Sun

Hulking replicas of London’s Big Ben and an ancient Chinese city wall loom over the urban centre of Dushan county, Guizhou province. Photo: Luna Sun

In the 2010s, Dushan splashed billions on high-rises and a fake Big Ben. Today, the buildings are mostly empty – but the debts remain.


Few areas of China reflect the country’s decades-long economic transformation more vividly than its cities. Rapid development has made villages into dense urban landscapes and already sizeable metro areas into some of the world’s largest population centres. As the rate of urbanisation slows and the country transitions into a new economic era, we explore how select Chinese cities are navigating the change.


Series

China’s urban revival

When mines run dry: why some Chinese cities are racing to reinvent themselves

Once China’s answer to Pittsburgh, steel hub Panzhihua faces same challenge as other old industrial cities: how to avoid ‘rust belt’ decline.

Why some Chinese cities are rethinking their sweeping development strategies

Why is the famed demolition and reconstruction approach that bottled lightning in Datong city increasingly seen as outdated? And what are the alternatives?

‘Unforgivable’: Chinese county still living in shadow of wild spending binge

In the 2010s, Dushan splashed billions on high-rises and a fake Big Ben. Today, the buildings are mostly empty – but the debts remain.