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Decorative items made of gold are displayed at a jewellery store in Beijing on January 28. Photo: EPA-EFE
China consumption

China’s gold rush: why families are doubling down on precious metals

Gold is becoming more popular in China ahead of the Lunar New Year, with households viewing the asset as a safety net amid an uncertain economy.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

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China-EU relations

Nexperia faces 6-month inquiry as CEO Zhang’s suspension upheld by Dutch court

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Yuan

‘The Trump factor’ could be luring more foreign investors to China. Here’s why

Global volatility is forcing a rethink of traditional safe havens, creating opportunities for Beijing, prominent investor says.

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US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on February 2, 2026. Photo: EPA-EFE
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on February 2, 2026. Photo: EPA-EFE
Banking & finance

China lets yuan rise to strongest level in years as de-dollarisation trend grows

China’s central bank sets the yuan’s midpoint rate at its strongest level since mid-2023, as jitters over the US dollar buoy the Chinese currency.

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China consumption

Time on happy hour as French wine and spirit sales sour in mainland China, US

French alcohol exports to mainland China and the US dropped by 19.5 and 21 per cent in 2025 as tariffs stifled global trade.

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US-China relations

As Bessent tips next US-China trade talks, analysts see Trump-Xi meeting prep

Treasury Secretary Bessent confirms preparations for high-level dialogue, with analysts expecting a focus on specific transactional wins over a relationship reset.

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US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in December. Photo: Getty Images
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in December. Photo: Getty Images
Banking & finance

Indonesia turns to digital finance to reach unbanked population

With millions still lacking access to banking services, Indonesia is drawing on regional lessons and forging international partnerships.

China Conference: Southeast Asia

Indonesia eyes China partners to build ‘better than the EU standard’

Sovereign wealth fund Danantara targets waste-to-energy, smart grids, and data centres, leveraging a global tech leader for green and infrastructure growth.

China-EU relations

EU ‘mega tariff’: French minister urges caution amid calls for 30% China duty

Finance minister distances himself from French government agency’s proposal for blanket EU tariffs on China to stop ‘destruction’ of local industry.

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French Finance Minister Roland Lescure gives a speech in Paris on February 3. Lescure has distanced himself from proposals for a blanket 30 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports. Photo: AFP
Yuan

China keen to realise ambitions for digital currency amid slow uptake

Despite record transactions last year, most users prefer alternatives – while Beijing likely to maintain gradual expansion, analysts say.

A booth promoting the digital yuan in Beijing on September 2, 2022. Photo: AP
A booth promoting the digital yuan in Beijing on September 2, 2022. Photo: AP
China trade

Businesses to ‘keep doing it’ as Japan-China trade stays defiant after election

Neither side likely to want escalation in months-long dispute but near-term outlook uncertain, analysts say.

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Belt and Road Initiative

‘Time is ripe’: why China is eyeing another vast canal link to Southeast Asia

China has almost completed the US$10 billion Pinglu Canal connecting its heartlands to Southeast Asia. Now, it is mulling an even larger waterway.

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Banking & finance

As China intensifies offshore tax hunt, exporters struggle with compliance

Beijing leverages big data and global info exchange to chase undeclared overseas wealth, with fiscal needs seen driving the push, forcing compliance across sectors.

The Yantai Port is seen in China’s Shandong province last month. For those in China’s cross-border trade business, a sweeping tax crackdown is beginning to be felt. Photo: Xinhua
China-EU relations

Chinese sports brands set sights on European expansion at 2026 Winter Olympics

The Games have become a test case for firms seeking to raise their global profile, highlighting rising ambitions and challenges.

A model presents for Chinese brand Li Ning during the fashion week in Milan on January 16. Photo: Xinhua
A model presents for Chinese brand Li Ning during the fashion week in Milan on January 16. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

As Beijing and Moscow tout ties, China’s companies keep Ukraine’s lights on

Ukrainians are buying Chinese batteries and emergency items en masse after Russian strikes, with Beijing’s ties to Moscow no damper on trade.

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China trade

UK, China boost financial ties, deepen London’s role as offshore yuan hub

New pact designates a new yuan clearing bank, boosts cross-listings and expands green finance, accelerating the international use of China’s currency.

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China trade

China-Canada canola deal faces test as USMCA trade talks loom, insiders warn

Initial shipments bring hope, but ‘Fortress North America’ threat and lack of long-term guarantees leave producers wary of Beijing’s commitment.

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Bottles of Canola Harvest brand canola oil, made by a Canadian agribusiness firm, are seen on the shelf of a grocery store in Beijing. Photo: AP
Bottles of Canola Harvest brand canola oil, made by a Canadian agribusiness firm, are seen on the shelf of a grocery store in Beijing. Photo: AP
China-EU relations

Stung by Trump’s policies, German multinationals cautiously pivot towards China

German firms are keen to invest more in China as they shy away from the US, but they still face issues in the Chinese market, business group says.

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Belt and Road Initiative

Trump wants China out of South America – but Peru’s Beijing-backed port is abuzz

Beijing’s hunger for minerals and raw materials is pushing trade in the region to record levels, even after incidents in Panama and Venezuela.

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Transport and logistics

Panama’s ‘dangerous precedent’: why ports appear pawns as politics top contracts

Panama’s move to void CK Hutchison’s deal fuels fears of broader asset seizures, with analysts warning of rising risks for Chinese operators in the US sphere.

A view of the main entrance of the Port of Balboa in Panama City on Friday. A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, Panama Ports Company (PPC), announced on Tuesday that it had initiated international arbitration proceedings against Panama after its courts revoked the concession allowing it to operate two ports on the interoceanic canal. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

China’s new golden rule: dig deeper mines, boost reserves and hedge global risks

China Gold Association vows tech breakthroughs in deep mining and nanogold, and a state-owned miner seeks a fourfold increase in gold output from mineral deposits.

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China’s gold insiders have vowed major industry advancements over the coming five years. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s gold insiders have vowed major industry advancements over the coming five years. Photo: Shutterstock
China energy security

China’s clean power energising economy, adding a Brazil’s worth of GDP: report

Clean energy industries drove more than one-third of China’s economic growth in 2025, as they continue to expand rapidly, study finds.

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China-EU relations

‘Discriminatory’: China slams EU probe into wind turbine maker Goldwind

Brussels’ ‘abuse of investigations’ is harming China-EU cooperation and slowing Europe’s green transition, Beijing warns.

China energy security

China’s cheap oil flows under strain as US ramps up Iran, Venezuela pressure

US restrictions could lead China to turn to higher-priced barrels in other markets, while it continues to reduce its reliance on oil imports.

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An oil tanker is anchored in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. China’s reliance on low-price crude from Venezuela is under strain as the United States tightens control over the country’s oil industry. Photo: Xinhua
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