China's top parliament body has approved a 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion) sovereign bond issue and passed a bill to allow local governments to frontload part of their 2024 bond quotas in a move to support the economy. Funds raised from the new sovereign bonds will support the rebuilding of disaster-hit areas in the country and improve urban drainage prevention infrastructure to boost China's ability to withstand natural disasters, state news agency Xinhua said.   That wil ...

The privileged youth of China now perceive luxury in a more nuanced manner. The ultra-wealthy under the age of 40 approach wealth management, investment, and heritage preservation differently from their predecessors.   hina's growing wealth is a topic frequently discussed, often associated with a booming economy, a rapidly expanding middle class, and an increasing number of billionaires. According to the latest Global Wealth Report for 2023, China ranks second in terms of ...

Founded in 2013, Cainiao is a global leader in cross-border e-commerce logistics. Cainiao was incubated within the world’s largest e-commerce ecosystem fostered by Alibaba. The Company has built a global smart logistics network and tirelessly innovates to meet the complex, rapidly evolving demands of e-commerce logistics.     Cainiao’s leading technology capabilities and deep e-commerce insights set it apart, enabling it to become a leader in each of ...

China’s property market has been embattled by faltering consumer confidence in real estate companies as property giants Evergrande and Country Garden remain mired in debt woes. China’s urbanization drive may be drawing to a close — and that could further hurt the already ailing property sector, according to China economist Hao Hong.     “Fixing the property sector may be a multi-year or even a decade’s work in front of us. Reason be ...

As one of the last countries to remove pandemic-related restrictions, China’s outbound travel sentiments are closely watched. And today, with freedom returning, many affluent Chinese travellers are looking to spend more on travel in the year ahead, and to do so with a renewed need for escapism and exploration.   Having saved money over the past three years, most wealthy Chinese are looking to travel again in style and spend more on more extravagant and unique trips, wit ...

In a largely unexpected move, China cut a benchmark interest rate yesterday, marking the most significant rate cut since 2020. The news came not long after the release of disappointing retail sales and industrial production numbers, combined with rising fears around the weakness of China’s broader economy.   The Chinese central bank reduced the rate on its one-year medium-term lending facility loans by 15 basis points to 2.50%. The rate cut was mirrored by a di ...

China's total vehicle exports are expected to reach 4.4 million units in 2023, with new energy vehicles (NEVs) expected to account for more than 30 percent of the total, market research firm Canalys said in a report.   China's auto exports have been climbing since 2020, surpassing Germany as the world's second-largest exporter in 2022. In the first quarter, China surpassed Japan as the world's largest auto exporter, with growth in NEVs exports the main reason for  ...

China has emerged as a global leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), making significant advancements in recent years. With a combination of government support, research institutions, and thriving tech companies, China has positioned itself at the forefront of AI innovation. This article examines the current developments in AI in China, highlighting key areas of focus, achievements, and challenges.     Government Support and Strategic Planning: The  ...

China has begun a fresh round of nationwide inspections to work out how much money local governments’ owe, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign that authorities are preparing to take concrete steps to tackle a key financial risk. Local officials will be pressed to come clean about their so-called hidden debt as national leaders attempt to get a fuller picture of liabilities across all levels of government, the people said, asking not to be named discussi ...

Wang Wen, Executive Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China delivered a speech at “习近平外交思想与‘身边的国际社会’理论研讨会 a seminar on Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and its relevance to the "international community around us" on May 9. Below is a condensed version of his speech:     While the term "international community" may sound sophisticated, it exists ri ...

With the ongoing war in the Ukraine, it seems as though the main longterm beneficiaries will be China and India, although not necessarily in that order. Both China and India are already benefitting from trade on more generous terms with Russia than President Putin would otherwise be minded to give, and from a renewed interest in how the diplomatic axes in Asia really work.   No-one would argue that these two countries are the regional powers in Asia writ large, Japan and South Ko ...

China’s much-anticipated economic recovery isn’t turning out to be as ebullient as some bullish investors hoped. And yet investors looking to policy makers to power stocks higher with aggressive stimulus might be disappointed. China’s growth is indeed recovering—a contrast to slowing economies in the U.S. and elsewhere—but not at the robust pace expected. That leaves the world’s second-largest economy in a difficult in-between.   Just on Wednes ...

A surge in apprehension followed the establishment last week of a China-Central Asia Summit. “The war in Ukraine has weakened some of Russia’s influence in Central Asia,” warned the New York Times, “and China sees an opening”. Contrasted with the G7 meeting occurring at the same time in Japan, this was said to amount to “duelling summits” for influence.     The Belt and Road Initiative, ...

China’s first domestically produced passenger jet took off on its maiden commercial flight on Sunday, a milestone event in the nation’s decades-long effort to compete with western rivals in the air. Beijing hopes the C919 commercial jetliner will challenge foreign models like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320, though many of its parts are sourced from abroad.     Its first homegrown jetliner with mass commercial potential would also cut the country& ...

Specialised kids’ fitness training centres are set to be in high demand in Chinese cities following the raft of new education policies that were introduced from 2020 onwards.   The kids’ fitness industry started in 2017 but only gained momentum recently. A 50% year-on-year increase was noticed by one owner of a kids’ fitness centre in Hohhot in Inner Mongolia during the most recent winter vacation and he also noticed several new centres popping up in the neighbo ...

The U.S. economy of the 1970s was, in certain ways, quite similar to the U.S. economy today: rising inflation, a population broadly pessimistic about the future of the market, and persistent declines in overall productivity. There was also, back then, a growing economic threat from across the Pacific. Only, in the 1970s, the threat came from Japan, which was the subject of dozens of books, and even a handful of movies, as fears of it overtaking the U.S. as the world’s economic superpowe ...

Amy Liu is unsure whether she should trade in her five-year-old electric sport utility vehicle for a newer model with a longer range or wait a bit longer. “If I place an order now, I’m afraid the price might drop next month,” said the property agent in Shenzhen. Automakers in China’s highly competitive market for new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include all-electric and hybrid models, have been aggressively cutting prices since late last year as demand softened and th ...

Africa accounted for 12.3% of Chinese companies’ exploration and strategic investment budgets in 2021, up from 8.1% in 2011. Partially, this is due to the CCP wanting to reduce dependence on Australia should they choose to invade Taiwan. But it’s also worth noting that Australia is far more expensive to invest in, with the former trade-off being increased confidence in Australia’s regulatory and judicial systems.   For example, mine costs at Chinese titan CI ...