78 m. ago Surprise US copper tariff tests the mettle of China’s vast refining industry

Shockwaves from Washington’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on copper imports are still rippling across the Pacific, and China, the world’s largest consumer of the metal, is feeling the effects. Copper futures traded in the US rallied on the tariff threat, expanding a price gap with the London and China markets, where prices fell. The most active copper futures contracts traded on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell by 1.36 per cent on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s...

Politics

2 h. ago US ‘remains dependent’: why China’s rare earth dominance is far from over

China is expected to maintain a strategic edge over the United States in the rare earth industry, thanks to Beijing’s long-term investments in advanced mining and processing technologies. In contrast, the US is paying the price for decades of underinvestment, obsolete policies and the absence of a coherent strategy, according to a report by the New York-based think tank Strategy Risks. The warning came as Beijing increasingly leverages its dominance in the global rare earth supply chain –...

Politics

3 h. ago CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: The hidden drag on China's economy

CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: The hidden drag on China's economy  CNBC

Politics

6 h. ago China economy to top $19.5 trillion this year, says state planner

China economy to top $19.5 trillion this year, says state planner  Reuters

Economics

7 h. ago China’s lead in global shipbuilding may already be fading, new data suggests

China’s dominance of global shipbuilding appears to have been eroded over the past six months, according to the latest industry data, suggesting that US efforts to rein in the country’s shipyards may be starting to bite. China has been by far the world’s largest shipbuilder for years, but its shipyards saw new orders plunge 68 per cent year on year to 26.3 million deadweight tonnes in the first half of 2025, according to a Monday report from maritime consultancy Clarksons Research. South Korea,...

Politics

12 h. ago China’s Gig Economy Booms as Blistering Heat Leaves Workers Exposed

China’s Gig Economy Booms as Blistering Heat Leaves Workers Exposed  Bloomberg.com

Economics

12 h. ago China's Blistering Heat Leaves Workers Exposed as Gig Economy Booms

China's Blistering Heat Leaves Workers Exposed as Gig Economy Booms  Bloomberg

Economics

12 h. ago China spins up offshore wind energy as Beijing promotes marine economy

China has ramped up offshore wind energy development, as the form of renewable energy aligns with Beijing’s goals of carbon neutrality, energy security and developing the marine economy to boost economic growth. China added more than 4.4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity in the first six months of the year, the same amount it added in all of 2024, according to a report by the non-profit Global Energy Monitor (GEM) on Wednesday. The report said the country was expected to add at least 9GW...

Politics

14 h. ago China told its officials to tighten their belts. Did they go a notch too far?

This is the first story in a three-part series exploring the domestic economic challenges China faces as it navigates an unprecedented trade war with the United States. In this piece, we explore Beijing’s drive to rein in wasteful government spending – and its unintended consequences. Wang, a civil servant from a small town in northeastern China, is too scared to go to restaurants these days. He even skipped his niece’s wedding due to his fear of being seen at a banquet. An avid foodie, the...

Politics

14 h. ago China tried to cut lavish spending. Now some officials fear ordering coffee

This is the first story in a three-part series exploring the domestic economic challenges China faces as it navigates an unprecedented trade war with the United States. In this piece, we explore Beijing’s drive to rein in wasteful government spending – and its unintended consequences. Wang, a civil servant from a small town in northeastern China, is too scared to go to restaurants these days. He even skipped his niece’s wedding due to his fear of being seen at a banquet. An avid foodie, the...

Politics

21 h. ago China steps up economic monitoring, looking to head off worst

Amid erratic US tariff threats and with the world economy in flux, China’s top economic planner says that more economic monitoring and early-warning capabilities are needed. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is soliciting studies to assess the impacts of US tariffs and to refine China’s existing monitoring indicators “in the context of global economic and trade order restructuring”. It also plans to evaluate how non-tariff barriers of various countries might impact China’s...

Economics

25 h. ago Beijing sets up Global Digital Economy Collaboration Alliance

Beijing sets up Global Digital Economy Collaboration Alliance  China.org.cn

Politics

27 h. ago Business leaders call for efforts to combat ‘Hong Kong equals China’ perception

Hong Kong must work harder to be as international as possible under the “one country, two systems” framework to combat a growing perception in Western capitals that it is no different from any other mainland Chinese city, business leaders have urged. The city also maintains a significant lead over regional rival Singapore in key financial metrics, panellists at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference said on Tuesday. “The problem is that many of them feel that Hong Kong equals China,”...

Politics

27 h. ago Efforts needed to combat view ‘Hong Kong equals mainland China’: business leaders

Hong Kong must work harder to be as international as possible under the “one country, two systems” framework to combat a growing perception in Western capitals that it is no different from mainland Chinese cities, business leaders have urged. The city also maintains a significant lead over regional rival Singapore in key financial metrics, panellists at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference 2025 said on Tuesday. “The problem is that many of them feel that Hong Kong equals China,” said...

Politics

30 h. ago Rare earth dominance: why China still holds the cards despite global pushback

Beijing’s recent export controls on rare earths have spurred a flurry of international efforts to diversify supply chains and reduce China’s long-standing dominance in critical minerals. In June, the Ministry of Commerce announced that it would approve qualified export applications and was open to discussions with other countries regarding the restrictions. But as rare earths emerge as a new front in the US-China rivalry, companies worldwide have announced plans for a string of projects designed...

Politics

38 h. ago “Historic opportunity”: why China is betting on a poor province in trade war

The 2025 trade war launched by the United States is shaping up to become a watershed moment for Chinese policymakers. While the country’s economic resilience and role at the centre of global supply chains helped secure a 90-day truce with Washington, Beijing is digging deep to fight a protracted conflict. The forthcoming Five-Year Plan – China’s signature development blueprint – is expected to fortify the domestic economy in the pursuit of global leadership. Provincial leaders are seizing...

Events

50 h. ago China urged to take bolder steps to tackle price wars, deflation and weak demand

Beijing’s latest push to curb price wars may help ease deflationary pressures, but analysts warn the current measures fall short of addressing deeper structural problems facing the world’s second-largest economy. China’s GDP deflator – a broad measure of prices across goods and services – has been negative since the second quarter of 2023, while consumer prices have fallen for four straight months year-on-year. To stop the deflationary spiral, Chinese authorities should address the cause: weak...

Events

54 h. ago How China’s C919 could win big from revived US jet engine exports: analysts

China is expected to sustain production of its home-grown aircraft and expand access to foreign skies, following the United States’ removal of a ban on selling American jet engine parts and technology to Chinese buyers. But analysts cautioned that earlier export restrictions imposed by the Trump administration had a chilling effect – one that could harden Beijing’s resolve to accelerate the development of indigenous engines and other critical components. Sales resumed last week after a bilateral...

Politics

54 h. ago How China’s C919 aircraft could win big from revived US jet engine exports

China is expected to sustain production of its home-grown aircraft and expand access to foreign skies, following the United States’ removal of a ban on selling American jet engine parts and technology to Chinese buyers. But analysts cautioned that earlier export restrictions imposed by the Trump administration had a chilling effect – one that could harden Beijing’s resolve to accelerate the development of indigenous engines and other critical components. Sales resumed last week after a bilateral...

Politics

56 h. ago Australia’s Albanese to address Darwin Port sale on China visit

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in China next week for his second official visit, he will have more than the typical diplomatic niceties to discuss with President Xi Jinping. A major task on Albanese’s agenda, besides routine topics like trade, will be to explain his country’s stance on Chinese investment – in particular, addressing the controversy over the ownership and potential government-influenced sale of the Darwin the Post has learned from sources with knowledge of...

Politics