11 h. ago Major foreign banks raise China’s GDP forecast, annual target seen as ‘on track’

Several major banks forecast stronger economic growth for China this year, buoyed by third-quarter data showing slightly better-than-expected expansion despite domestic and external headwinds. Investment bank Goldman Sachs raised its full-year gross domestic product forecast for 2025 from 4.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent, noting that the government’s target of “around 5 per cent” remains “largely on track”. The bank also revised its estimate for 2026, up slightly from 4.2 per cent to 4.3 per cent,...

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11 h. ago Overseas banks raise China GDP forecasts, say Beijing ‘on track’ for 2025 target

Several major banks forecast stronger economic growth for China this year, buoyed by third-quarter data showing slightly better-than-expected expansion despite domestic and external headwinds. Investment bank Goldman Sachs raised its full-year gross domestic product forecast for 2025 from 4.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent, noting that the government’s target of “around 5 per cent” remains “largely on track”. The bank also revised its estimate for 2026, up slightly from 4.2 per cent to 4.3 per cent,...

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41 h. ago China reports 4.8% quarterly GDP growth, moving closer to annual target

China’s economy grew 4.8 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2025, staying in line with expectations and bringing the country closer to achieving its annual target despite rising external uncertainties. The closely watched figure for gross domestic product, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, came in just above the 4.76 per cent forecast in a survey of economists by Chinese financial data provider Wind. It marked a deceleration from the 5.2 per cent expansion...

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5 d. ago 3 arrested in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese operation targeting money launderers

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have arrested three men in a cross-border operation targeting a money laundering syndicate that allegedly used pre-recorded footage to bypass digital bank accounts’ facial recognition software and laundered more than HK$270 million (US$34.7 million). Chief Inspector Lo Yin-lam of Hong Kong police’s financial investigation bureau said on Thursday that the syndicate allegedly recruited members from the mainland to travel to the city and open accounts with...

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7 d. ago South Korea’s PPP slammed for targeting Chinese nationals via ‘xenophobic’ bill

South Korea’s conservative opposition party is facing mounting backlash over a proposed bill that aims to tighten restrictions on Chinese nationals, with critics accusing it of stoking xenophobia to galvanise support ahead of next year’s local elections. The People Power Party (PPP) has unveiled legislation – dubbed the “Three Shopping Prevention Law” – targeted at Chinese citizens, claiming that they had been abusing the country’s national health insurance system and making speculative property...

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8 d. ago UK’s MI5 warns politicians they are targets of Chinese and Russian spying

Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5 issued a rare public warning to members of parliament on Monday that they are being targeted by spies from China, Russia and Iran in an attempt to undermine the country’s democracy. The warning comes a week after prosecutors said they had to abandon the trial of two British men charged with spying on members of parliament for China because the British government had not provided evidence showing China was a threat to its national security. MI5 warned politicians...

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8 d. ago Beijing issues detailed rules for reciprocal port fees targeting US

Beijing issues detailed rules for reciprocal port fees targeting US-linked vessels  Lloyd's List

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1 week ago Drone terror plot foiled in Belgium, prime minister among targets

Belgian police on Thursday detained three people over a suspected plot to attack the country’s politicians including Prime Minister Bart De Wever with a drone carrying explosives. The three were taken into custody after an anti-terrorism judge ordered searches of their homes in the port city of Antwerp by police officers working with explosives sniffer dogs, federal prosecutors said in a statement. An “improvised device” was found at the home of one of the suspects but it was not operational at...

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1 week ago Chinese regulators step up efforts to target disorderly price competition

Chinese regulators have launched renewed efforts to tackle the phenomenon of disorderly price competition, including the potential formulation of state-sanctioned cost assessments and firm actions against below-cost bidding. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) – the country’s top economic planner – and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a joint policy paper on Thursday outlining measures designed to limit the intense competition within some...

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1 week ago China’s regulators step up efforts to cool down industry price wars

Chinese regulators have launched renewed efforts to tackle the phenomenon of disorderly price competition, including the potential formulation of state-sanctioned cost assessments and firm actions against below-cost bidding. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) – the country’s top economic planner – and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published a joint policy paper on Thursday outlining measures designed to limit the intense competition within some...

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1 week ago Trump calls off talks with Venezuela as US considers cartel targets on land

US President Donald Trump has called off US diplomatic engagement with Venezuela, people familiar with the move have said, a decision that favours Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s more hardline approach and may lead to further military escalation. Trump told Richard Grenell, a long-time aide who had been leading diplomacy with Venezuela, that he should stop pursuing a deal with Nicolas Maduro’s administration, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because they were not...

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2 w. ago Lawsuit targeting Chinese mining companies poses dilemma for Zambian government

An US$80 billion lawsuit filed by Zambian farmers against two Chinese mining companies over a major toxic acid spill has produced a major diplomatic headache for the southern African country as it tries to balance its long-standing relationship with Beijing against the needs of local communities. For decades, Lusaka and Beijing have maintained strong political and economic ties, with China funding multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects ranging from airports to dams. Zambia relies heavily...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese mining firms sued over toxic acid spill pose dilemma for Zambian government

An US$80 billion lawsuit filed by Zambian farmers against two Chinese mining companies over a major toxic acid spill has produced a major diplomatic headache for the southern African country as it tries to balance its long-standing relationship with Beijing against the needs of local communities. For decades, the two countries have maintained strong political and economic ties, and China has funded multibillion-dollar Zambian infrastructure projects ranging from airports and railways to...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s ‘Clean Net’ campaign targets ‘negative emotions’ in annual online purge

As China settles into its “golden week” National Day holiday, the country’s cyber watchdogs are hard at work scouring the internet for negative sentiment, and handing out harsh penalties or imposing bans on influential online figures and social media platforms. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said on Monday that the latest round of its “Clean Net” campaign aimed to “crack down on malicious incitement of negative emotions” and “create a more civilised and rational online...

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3 w. ago China issues retaliatory rules ahead of US port fee targeting Chinese vessels

As a new US port fee targeting China-built or -operated vessels is set to take effect in two weeks, China has revised its international maritime transport rules to allow retaliatory measures, including charging special fees or restricting access to Chinese ports. China will implement necessary countermeasures against any country or region that imposes or supports discriminatory bans, restrictions or similar measures targeting Chinese operators, vessels or crews, according to the revision...

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3 w. ago US slaps new tariffs on furniture imports, widens blacklist of Chinese companies

US President Donald Trump has declared his administration will start slapping steep tariffs on countries that export furniture to America, putting China in the crosshairs of his efforts to bring manufacturing back to his country again, even amid ongoing high-level efforts between Washington and Beijing aimed at resolving their trade differences. In a separate move, Chinese companies and their subsidiaries will be targeted by an expansion to the reach of a US Commerce Department trade...

Politics

3 w. ago Before US port fee hits China vessels, carriers are dodging the blow: experts

Less than three weeks before the US port fee targeting China-built or China-operated vessels is scheduled to take effect, some major carriers have begun adjusting their vessel deployment to avoid or absorb the extra cost rather than resorting to imposing a surcharge on clients – at least initially. “On the transpacific, there are early signs of a reduction in the deployment of Chinese-built vessels,” shipping consultancy Sea Intelligence said in a report last week. After tracking vessel...

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4 w. ago US targets wife of Brazilian Supreme Court judge Moraes with sanctions

The US on Monday imposed sanctions on the wife of the Brazilian judge who presided over the criminal case of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro and also yanked the visas of six high-ranking officials, as a months-long showdown between the Trump administration and the Brazilian government escalates. Widening the penalties targeting Brazil’s judiciary, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, under...

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