China

China hits growth goal after exports defy US tariffs
20Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China, USA, World

China hits growth goal after exports defy US tariffs

China said its economy expanded by 5% last year, meeting Beijing's official target as a record trade surplus boosted growth. The world's second-largest economy reached its goal despite growth slowing to 4.5% in the final three months of 2025. China's past year has been marked by struggles to boost domestic spending, a prolonged property crisis and turmoil caused by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Experts say the figures point to a "two-speed economy", with manufacturing and exports propping up expansion while people are still spending cautiously and the real estate market continues to weigh on the country. While China's official figures suggest it hit its growth goal, some analysts question the accuracy of the data given weak investment and consumer spending. ...
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China Economy: Shanghai sees increase in rental demand for commercial office space
20Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China

China Economy: Shanghai sees increase in rental demand for commercial office space

In Shanghai, rental demand for commercial office buildings recovered significantly in the fourth quarter of 2025. Chen Tong takes a closer look at the factors driving the increase. This is a landmark project in Shanghai's city center. Covering an area of some 390,000 square meters, the development comprises three commercial office buildings. CHEN TONG Shanghai "This property project is located in Xintiandi, one of Shanghai's busiest commercial districts. So far, more than 60 percent of its space has already been rented, mostly by leading and well-known foreign companies." BRUCE DAI Deputy General Manager, Office Business Management Shui On Xintiandi "The Huangpu district is a core CBD area. It's not like a one or two single industries we are focusing. Instead, we have a lot o...
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Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 in face of China controls
12Jan mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Asia, China

Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 in face of China controls

Fears of China choking off exports of critical minerals to Japan amid a deepening political dispute have set off industry alarms and prompted Tokyo to elevate the issue at a G7 gathering of finance ministers this week, despite Beijing’s assurances that civilian trade would be spared. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said last week that she would attend the Group of Seven event in Washington on Monday with the “risk of a rare-earth-supply interruption from China in mind”, the Tokyo-based Jiji Press reported. Officials from Canada, the United States and Australia were also expected to participate. The inclusion of rare earths on the G7 agenda reflects heightened concern in Japan over China controlling exports of 17 rare earth elements that are crucial for Japan’s massive...
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China inflation hits near three-year high in December as full-year CPI misses target
9Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China

China inflation hits near three-year high in December as full-year CPI misses target

China’s consumer inflation accelerated in December to the fastest pace in nearly three years as spending picked up ahead of the New Year holiday, while factory-gate deflation remained entrenched, signaling that underlying demand stayed weak. Consumer prices rose 0.8% from a year earlier, their highest level since February 2023, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. The improvement followed a 0.7% climb in November and matched the economists’ expectations in a Reuters poll. The rebound in consumer prices was largely driven by fresh vegetables, which rose 18.2% from a year earlier due to supply shortages during the cold winter. Among other food items, pork prices fell 14.6%. Core inflation, which excludes volatile prices of food and energy, was up ...
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China, Pakistan vow closer ties in trade, finance, security: Xinhua
7Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China

China, Pakistan vow closer ties in trade, finance, security: Xinhua

China and Pakistan have agreed to ⁠deepen cooperation in industry, agriculture and mining, and ‌expand ‌collaboration in trade and ‌investment, information technology and cybersecurity, according to a joint statement released by Chinese state media. The two countries also ‌pledged ‍to strengthen ‍cooperation in the financial and banking ‌sectors and to support each other on regional and international multilateral financial platforms, Xinhua news ‍agency reported. They called for more "visible ‍and ⁠verifiable" ⁠actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations entrenched in Afghanistan, the statement said.
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<a href="https://www.esgtoday.com/china-releases-corporate-climate-reporting-standard/">China Releases Corporate Climate Reporting Standard</a>
6Jan mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
China

China Releases Corporate Climate Reporting Standard

China’s Ministry of Finance, alongside several other of the country’s ministries, central bank, and regulators, announced the release of its new “Corporate Sustainable Disclosure Standard No. 1 – Climate (Trial),” a new standard, aligned with the IFRS Foundation’s climate reporting standard, aimed at enabling companies to report on climate-related risks, opportunities and impacts, and to support China’s green development goals. While the new standard is being positioned by the Ministry of Finance as a trial document, and applied initially as voluntary, the ministry said that it will expand its application over time to more companies and eventually to the implementation of mandatory climate-related disclosures. According to the ministry, the new trial climate reporting standa...
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Meta to Buy Chinese-Founded AI Startup Seen as ‘Next DeepSeek’
31Dec mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Asia, China, World

Meta to Buy Chinese-Founded AI Startup Seen as ‘Next DeepSeek’

US tech giant Meta has announced plans to takeover Manus, a Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup hailed earlier this year as “the next DeepSeek”. The news on Monday (US time) comes as Meta ramps up moves to integrate advanced AI across its platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and more. Financial terms of its transaction with Manus were not revealed, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal values the Singapore-based firm at between $2 billion and $3 billion. Meta has said Manus will cut ties with China after it has been acquired, according to Nikkei. So, China’s response to the takeover may be interesting, given Beijing’s desire to bolster its tech and artificial intelligence capacity. Manus did not immediately reply to a request for ...
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US labels Chinese chips an economic threat, but delays tariff impact until 2027
26Dec mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, Market, USA

US labels Chinese chips an economic threat, but delays tariff impact until 2027

In a new trade move against China’s semiconductor industry, the US Trade Representative Office said it had determined that Beijing’s drive for dominance in the sector is “unreasonable and discriminatory” and poses a direct threat to US commerce.In a formal notice of action filed with the Federal Register, the agency said the US is implementing a tariff action on a wide range of Chinese semiconductors, with an initial rate of 0 per cent. The rate is set to rise in 18 months, on June 23, 2027, to a higher level that will be announced 30 days before the deadline. Analysts said the delayed timetable underscores that the move is intended as much to signal resolve and retain leverage over Beijing as to deliver an immediate economic impact, with Washington opting to keep pressure in reser...
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<strong>Indonesia’s MSMEs Collapse Under China’s Dumping Tactics</strong>
24Dec mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Asia, China

Indonesia’s MSMEs Collapse Under China’s Dumping Tactics

China’s relentless dumping of cheap goods into Indonesia is eroding the country’s MSMEs, dismantling local supply chains, and exposing deep vulnerabilities in Indonesia’s industrial ecosystem. Latest trade data shows China now accounts for more than one-third of Indonesia’s imports, underscoring the scale of this structural imbalance. Across Indonesia’s archipelago, from Surabaya’s bustling markets to Jakarta’s digital storefronts, a quiet but devastating transformation is underway. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) which employ 90–95% of Indonesia’s workforceare abandoning production and shifting to reselling Chinese imports. This is not globalization in its benign form; it is a structural displacement driven by China’s industrial dominance and Indonesia’s inabili...
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The Changing Nature of China’s Engagement in the Maldives
24Dec mmBy Brian ThompsonNo Comments
Asia, China

The Changing Nature of China’s Engagement in the Maldives

Debt restructuring, grants and donations, commercial contracts, and deepening trade and financial linkages are allowing China to enhance its presence in the Maldives and create economic dependencies. On 30 November, the Maldivian government accelerated the Rasmalé project, a large-scale land reclamation initiative that will subsequently receive Chinese support for infrastructure development. This move underscores a broader shift in China’s economic presence in the Maldives under the presidency of Mohamed Muizzu. China’s modus operandi in the Maldives can be categorised into four broader trends: prioritising debt restructuring over new loans; focus on grants and donations; securing commercial contracts; and deepening economic and financial linkages. These engagement...
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