12 h. ago China’s AI and EV boom drives record power demand, widening energy gap with US

China’s total electricity consumption hit a record high of 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the US, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Saturday. The 5 per cent jump from the previous year marked the first time in China’s history that annual electricity consumption had surpassed 10 trillion kWh – the highest in the world and more than the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India and Japan, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA...

Politics

32 h. ago Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Trump ‘top global risk’: 7 US

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US-China EV markets After years of competing head-to-head with China in electric vehicles, the United States is now widely seen as falling behind – a reality increasingly acknowledged even within Detroit. Read the full story...

Politics

64 h. ago China to cut relending rates, widen credit support for private sector and tech

China’s central bank is looking to pump 900 billion yuan (US$129.2 billion) worth of additional funds into private and technology firms, alongside slashing key policy relending rates by a quarter of a percentage point, in a fresh round of monetary easing designed to shore up the economy. The new plan includes an extra 500 billion yuan for agriculture and small businesses, said Zou Lan, a deputy governor of the bank, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. The bank will also expand its...

Politics

4 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will push for closer ties with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a summit on Tuesday, as Tokyo struggles to draw a line under its widening diplomatic dispute with China. Both sides will focus on security challenges and Takaichi is expected to avoid “divisive” issues, while Lee, who last week met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, will try to achieve a “neutral” stance, analysts say. Lee’s two-day visit to Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, comes at a...

Events

5 d. ago The US has played its hand in Latin America. Will China’s firms there cash out?

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. In the days since Washington’s ousting and abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – an event that sent shock waves through global markets – some...

Economics

5 d. ago As China’s companies expand overseas, entrepreneurs want the passports to match

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. Chinese national Steve Xie has been doing business overseas for years. His latest venture, a new warehouse in Egypt, will supply electric vehicles and auto parts to...

Politics

7 d. ago China AI Leaders Warn of Widening Gap With US After $1B IPO Week

China AI Leaders Warn of Widening Gap With US After $1B IPO Week  Bloomberg.com

Events

7 d. ago How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been a crucial pillar of China’s economy since it opened up, drawing in trillions and helping fuel its rise as the “world’s factory”. But outbound direct investment (ODI) has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, transforming the country into a major exporter of capital. Today, China’s outbound investments exceed inflows, and the country has consistently ranked among the top three global investors in recent years. In this explainer, the Post examines the...

Politics

8 d. ago ASIA GOLD Elevated prices strain retail demand in India; China gold premiums widen

ASIA GOLD Elevated prices strain retail demand in India; China gold premiums widen  Reuters

Economics

8 d. ago China Widens Attack on Japan ‘Nuclear Ambitions’ as Ties Worsen

China Widens Attack on Japan ‘Nuclear Ambitions’ as Ties Worsen  Bloomberg.com

Events

8 d. ago Philippine navy confident it can navigate South China Sea dispute: ‘up to the challenge’

The Philippines has expressed confidence in countering China’s widening influence in contested waters as its navy presses ahead with expanding its fleet, joint activities with foreign partners and the use of unmanned systems. Analysts say these measures would boost the interoperability of the Philippine military across the sea and air, as the South China Sea dispute continues to dominate its security planning. “We are up to the challenge [posed by] the People’s Liberation Army Navy, Chinese...

Politics

9 d. ago Mainland Chinese medicine firms tap Hong Kong capital to fuel global expansion

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturers are gearing up to go public in Hong Kong, aiming to tap the market for international expansion. TCM firms have joined the queue for initial public offerings (IPOs) in the city to test foreign investors’ appetite for their shares. The latest to join the queue are Sichuan Neautus Traditional Chinese Medicine and Hong Kong-based Herb Standard. “Hong Kong will serve as our hub for capital, research and development, as well as international...

Politics

1 week ago BYD’s win, Tesla’s defeat, Ford’s pivot: the widening gap in US

After years of competing head-to-head with China in electric vehicles, the United States is now widely seen as falling behind – a reality increasingly acknowledged even within Detroit. When asked about the topic recently on a podcast, US carmaker Ford’s own CEO said: “There’s no real competition from Tesla, GM or Ford with what we’ve seen from China. It is completely dominating the EV landscape globally and more outside China.” For much of the past decade, the global electric vehicle market was...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong police charge man with manslaughter after reclassifying drug death

Hong Kong police have charged a 36-year-old man with manslaughter after reclassifying a suspected drug-related death from last week as a more serious offence. A police spokesman said on Wednesday that officers had upgraded the case of a 24-year-old man found unconscious in a hotel room in Tsim Sha Tsui, charging the 36-year-old discovered in the corridor of the same hotel with manslaughter. “After police in-depth investigation, it was believed that the 36-year-old foreign man attempted suicide...

Events

1 week ago 2 owners of Hong Kong eatery arrested for hiring 5 illegal workers in food factory

Hong Kong immigration authorities have broken up an operation in which two local restaurant owners hired illegal foreign workers at their food factory to supply products to their eatery and culinary fairs in the city. Pau Hiu-fung from the Immigration Department’s foreign domestic helpers investigation section said on Tuesday that two owners of a local Southeast Asian restaurant and five illegal workers they hired were arrested last Saturday. “Our investigations show that the food produced by...

Events

3 w. ago Europe should follow European interest, widen cooperation with China: Croatian former president

Europe should follow European interest, widen cooperation with China: Croatian former president  Xinhua

Politics

3 w. ago China sharpens sales pitch for overseas investment with new list of sought

China is taking steps to reshape the direction of its foreign investment, unveiling a revised catalogue of encouraged industries that steers overseas capital towards the advanced and technologically complex sectors Beijing’s policymakers view as future growth drivers. The revised catalogue, which takes effect in February 2026, covers 1,679 industries – 205 more than the current version, which was released in 2022. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce said the changes are aimed...

Economics

3 w. ago China broadens foreign investment list in renewed pitch for overseas capital

China broadens foreign investment list in renewed pitch for overseas capital  South China Morning Post

Politics

3 w. ago China Rolls Out Revised Foreign Investment Catalog Targeting Advanced Manufacturing, Modern Services

China Rolls Out Revised Foreign Investment Catalog Targeting Advanced Manufacturing, Modern Services  Yicai Global

Economics

3 w. ago China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows  US News Money

Politics