China is reportedly planning to launch a real estate fund to assist property developers resolvea crippling debt crisis, with the 300 billion yuan (US$44bn) warchest aimed at restoring confidence in the industry.   This would be the country's first major step to save the beleaguered property sector since last year's debt troubles became public with the problems afflicting Evergrande. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will initially support the fund with 8 ...

THE US AND CHINA APPEAR TO HAVE REALISED THE CONSTRAINTS PLACED UPON THEM BY THEIR INTERDEPENDENCE AND ARE SEEKING TO EASE RELATIONS AS A RESULT, WITH HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE PAIR RAMPING UP SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. HOWEVER, COMPANIES FROM THE US AND BEYOND WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO TREAD CAREFULLY IN AND AROUND CHINA.     In American political circles, China is seen as both a disease and a cure. As President Biden leads th ...

Recent Omicron outbreak and the lockdown measures in China significantly changed the previous soft-landing story of Chinese economy in 2022. In March and April, Shanghai and other mainland cities’ lockdown led to supply- side stagnancy and supply-chain disruptions. Coincidentally, the recent trending-up inflation, tumbling exports and RMB sharp depreciation etc. have shrink the authorities’ policy room for more aggressive easing measures. Chinese authorities indeed face an ...

Over the past two decades, China has built large infrastructure projects in almost every developing country, possibly because, through their own experience they are so good at it. However this is making some Western powers uncomfortable amid wider concerns about Beijing’s intentions global intentioan. A deeper look shows that accusations of so-called debt trap diplomacy are, at least so far, unfounded.   China, we are told, inveigles poorer countries into taking out loa ...

In recent years, Chinese investors have significantly increased their foreign investment activities especially in the form of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Chinese companies now own part or all of a number of international companies that might not be immediately apparent. Whether you’re going to the movies, washing your clothes or going for a drive there’s a good chance you're trading with a Chinese company.    For many Chinese firms, ...

Uniqlo can teach luxury brands a thing or two. Not only did the Japanese casualwear company overcome strong headwinds from the closing of operations in Russia and the weakening of Japan’s currency, but it also outclassed more established rivals and local players.    The reactive risk management approach embraced by most retailers has forced many of them out of business during the pandemic. But in a market that has brought Everlane, Selected, and Urban Outfitters to the ...

Affected by the covid-pandemic domestically, the major shipbuilding indexes of Chinese shipyards showed clear decline during January-April 2022.   According to the statistics released by China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI), the newly received shipbuilding order volume for Chinese yards was 15.39m dwt, down 44.8% year-on-year. Shipbuilding output was down 8.6% at 11.71m dwt. Orders on hand were 102.47m dwt as the end of April, an ...

With one of the world’s largest LGBTQ populations, China has many social apps to meet the varying needs of the community. Homosexuality is legal in the country, but LGBTQ people have no access to many legal rights such as marriage and discrimination protection. However, those social apps often provide a much-needed space for the community.     Blued Launched in 2012, Blued is a dating app primarily for gay users. The app is available in 13 languages with o ...

Shanghai faces weeks, if not months, of slow recovery until economic activity can fully bounce back from the crippling Covid lockdown that began in March. Based on the experiences of other Chinese cities like Wuhan in 2020 and Jilin earlier this year, it will take time for shops to reopen or factories to secure supplies and ramp up production. Labor shortages could emerge and the knock to business and consumer confidence will likely linger. Even though the majority of Shanghai’s 25 mill ...

The Red Flag River is a means to expand China’s domestic water security networks. In recent months, China’s Red Flag River Water Diversion Project Proposal (Red Flag River), an astonishing new inter-basin water diversion proposal, has gained much attention on social media in China and also in the downstream countries, especially in India. Named after the famous Red Flag Canal, the proposal aims to annually divert 60 billion cubic meters of water from t ...

The recently signed security agreement between the Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), along with the support of Chinese police to the Solomon Islands government to suppress social unrest in November 2021, highlight the increasing international deployment of PRC law enforcement (China Daily, April 2). This deployment follows several decades of expanding PRC international law enforcement activity, which is intended for extraterritorial enforcement action, seeking th ...

China’s beauty industry has undergone years of rapid growth and even managed to rebound strongly from the pandemic. It’s now the second largest beauty market in the world – after the US – and the fastest growing. Younger and savvier Chinese consumers are pushing beauty brands to innovate and show a willingness to embrace domestic brands over foreign competitors. C-beauty has attracted increasing buzz over social media – but what is it, and what do marketers need  ...

Asia is the world’s fastest-growing market for robotics solutions, and for good reason. As the region’s quickly-growing countries industrialize and begin making more goods than ever, robots help them do so at a comparatively lower cost than doing so with human capital. The region has long been seen as an innovator in the consumer robots space as well. China is now arguably the global leader in the industrial robotics space, while Japan has long been the perennial home of consumer- ...

Given the capital and time-intensive process of establishing a physical office in China, online channels are a popular option for international retailers and especially SME’s to reach Chinese     consumers. E-commerce platforms such as Tmall are a popular entry point for international consumer brands to test market demand, develop brand penetration and outsource operations, including online payment and customer delivery. Listing on a Chinese e-commerce platform offer ...

Simply a list of the best China related podcast's currently running: topics include: tech, internal politics, engagements with other Asian neighbors, foreign policy in general, the Belt and Road Initiative, culture, economics, current trending affairs on social media, society, history and food:     ChinaTalk A weekly conversation exploring China's economy and tech scene. Guests include a wide range of policy analysts, business professionals, journa ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated development of China’s logistics industry, which was already moving at breakneck speed. For decades, the country has been a crucial node in the supply chain of companies around the globe. And while many customers in other countries only awakened to the convenience of online shopping and delivery during the pandemic, millions of drivers have long been zipping through Chinese cities to deliver parcels of all sizes.   How has the Chin ...

The yuan, or renminbi, China’s currency unit, has been touted as a contender to become a key world reserve currency on par with the greenback and surpassing the euro, yen and British pound. But is this feasible?   Given that China is the biggest trading nation, with around 125 countries counting it as their biggest trade partner, the answer is probably yes.     China’s trade was valued at around US$6 trillion in 2021, according to the countr ...

The Fifth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress and the Fifth Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (the “Two Sessions”) were held in Beijing as scheduled. From the “Government Work Report” to the proposals of representatives from all walks of life, the semiconductor industry is one of the most important technology topics.     To keep you updated on the key developmen ...