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Economy /

China Economy

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Belt and Road Initiative
Asia housing and property
US-China trade war
Illustration: Davies Christian
Electric & new energy vehicles

Europe’s carmakers plan a comeback – powered by EU policies and Chinese tech

New regulations will help the EU produce electric vehicles at a price point to match China, but European job losses would be among the trade-offs.

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China shipbuilding

Chinese shipbuilders snap up more supertanker orders amid Iran war turmoil

China airliners

Taking flight: Airbus secures a big order from Chinese airlines

US, Israel war on Iran

Red Sea shutdown risk looms as US-Iran tensions threaten another oil surge

Tehran puts Houthi militants on notice to close critical shipping lanes, threatening a fresh supply shock as Brent crude notches 21 per cent rally since early July.

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This July 2025 handout image shows a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier being attacked by Houthi fighters at sea. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis have prompted many freight companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea. Photo: AFP
This July 2025 handout image shows a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier being attacked by Houthi fighters at sea. Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis have prompted many freight companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea. Photo: AFP
China energy security

China ramps up output of ‘industrial gold’ ethylene amid Iran war disruptions

PetroChina’s Xinjiang hub shifts output to the western interior region to rebalance coastal-heavy sector and hit green goals as Middle East conflict flares.

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Artificial intelligence

Xi’s call on AI, Trump blasts China, US tariffs

This week: Chinese president urges open and secure AI, US leader accuses Beijing over 2020 election, GDP growth slows. Next week: US global tariff expiry, Apec ministers meet, Hong Kong lawmakers decamp to Beijing.

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Artificial intelligence

Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the World AI Conference

The Chinese president addressed the opportunities and challenges of AI, urging the country to seize the “rare historic opportunity” of AI-driven growth by embracing technological openness.

Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the World AI Conference
China travel

China and Kazakhstan agree to add 28 round-trip flights a week

Officials meeting in Beijing also expanded list of approved Chinese cities to 11, including Chongqing.

Banking & finance

Open Questions | Citic Capital CEO on making China a financial powerhouse

Ex-Wall Streeter Zhang Yichen on attracting capital to China, building up its bond market and helping foreign firms better serve Chinese consumers.

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China's population

China’s population ageing seen as ‘inevitable’ by 2050. Why push more births?

Raising the fertility rate above 1.3 still remains crucial to preventing a far worse scenario later in the century, analysts say.

An elderly couple practice tai chi at a park in Beijing. Photo: AP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Race against Tesla: China’s Xpeng eyes 2027 global launch for viral Iron robot

CEO He Xiaopeng projects the firm will sell 1 million robots by 2030 after ramping up mass production.

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People stand near an Xpeng Iron humanoid robot displayed at the electric vehicle maker’s booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on June 22. Photo: Reuters
People stand near an Xpeng Iron humanoid robot displayed at the electric vehicle maker’s booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on June 22. Photo: Reuters
Shanghai

Shanghai’s computing-grid coordination marks a national first

Led by State Grid’s local subsidiary, trial marks the largest single city-level adjustment of computing power load, says official newspaper.

China trade

Helium squeeze: China vows trade controls on gas to shield critical industries

A by-product of LNG production, helium is critical for hi-tech industries including semiconductors, medical equipment and aerospace.

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China-EU relations

Exclusive | Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten set to visit China next spring: sources

Food security and trade ministers have already visited this year, with another, by Economy Minister Heleen Herbert, under consideration.

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Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten disembarks from a plane at Esenboga Airport ahead of the Nato Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7. Photo: EPA
China trade

China’s imports from Africa surge after Beijing expands zero-tariff policy

China’s growing hunger for critical minerals partly drove the increase, but the tariff reduction is also fuelling trade in several new sectors.

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Copper ingots are stacked ready for export at a facility in Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: AFP
Copper ingots are stacked ready for export at a facility in Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: AFP
China-EU relations

EU’s trade panic over China

China’s growing trade surplus with the European Union has stoked anxieties within the bloc, driving defensive actions to protect its critical domestic markets.

China manufacturing

The next rare earths? Why US fears another Chinese manufacturing advantage

China’s production of drug inputs has boomed in recent years, increasing market share and prompting fears of weaponisation in Washington.

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Yuan

China eyes broader global access to yuan assets, as panda bond demand surges

Beijing plans further reforms to make it easier to issue and trade panda bonds, as it focuses on boosting the yuan’s role as a global currency.

A staff member counts stacks of yuan banknotes at a credit cooperative in east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua
A staff member counts stacks of yuan banknotes at a credit cooperative in east China’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Giant Japanese trade group plans China visit amid tense economic ties

Delegation from prominent Japanese organisation seeks October talks in Beijing and Xian to repair business partnerships after geopolitical disputes snarled exchanges.

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China GDP

China’s slowing economic growth boosts case for stimulus

Upticks in June retail sales and industrial output growth to meet export demand are the bright spots amid a raft of sobering economic indicators.

China exports

Feeling the heat? As China exports soar, Europe’s ports are congested

Amid heatwaves, strikes and surging import volumes, strains on the transport network are causing frequent logistics bottlenecks.

A China-Europe freight train departing from Tongjiang North Railway Station in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province on August 9, 2024. Photo: Xinhua
China GDP

China’s second-quarter GDP misses mark, with lowest reading since end of 2022

Growth rate of 4.3 per cent complicates the country’s push to meet annual targets, contrasts with strong trade figures.

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A staff member works at an e-bike workshop in Huizhou, south China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Xinhua
A staff member works at an e-bike workshop in Huizhou, south China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

China increases holdings of US Treasuries despite diversification trend

Overall foreign holdings climb to US$9.371 trillion in May, with China’s rising to US$659.3 billion after hitting an 18-year low in April.

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Environment

China issues plan to revitalise – and potentially commercialise – uninhabited islands

Government document lays out plan for thousands of islets, many of which are rich in minerals and fresh water but have been damaged over time.

China trade

Fashion statement: Louis Vuitton takes China’s trademark regulator to court

The French luxury brand is suing the government body as it faces backlash over a trademark dispute with a Chinese milk tea chain.

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Shoppers queue up at a Louis Vuitton store in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP
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