China

<strong>China’s New Frontiers: Mapping Oceans, Dominating Space</strong>
21Mar mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

China’s New Frontiers: Mapping Oceans, Dominating Space

The reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) extends far beyond its borders, infiltrating oceans, space, and cyberspace. This multifaceted expansion has raised alarms globally, as nations grapple with the implications of China's strategic manoeuvres. From mapping the seabed to deploying advanced satellites and launching cyberattacks, the CCP's activities are reshaping the geopolitical landscape. The CCP's maritime ambitions are evident in its extensive seabed mapping operations. Under the guise of scientific research, Chinese fleets have been systematically charting waters near nations such as Myanmar, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These efforts, ostensibly conducted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, have sparked protests from n...
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The CCP’s Manoeuvring of Delivery Riders into Paying Social Insurance: Filling the Deficit Hole?
17Mar mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
China

The CCP’s Manoeuvring of Delivery Riders into Paying Social Insurance: Filling the Deficit Hole?

In mainland China, as unemployment continues to worsen across various industries, a growing number of individuals are turning to work as food delivery riders. Despite the gruelling nature of the job, its low entry barrier makes it an attractive option for many unemployed individuals facing desperate circumstances. However, with China's economy struggling, delivery riders' incomes have shrunk, and the pressure on them has intensified. One delivery rider expressed his frustration, mentioning that he works tirelessly from morning till night, earning just over 200 yuan (about $27). He noted that it was already 8:00 p.m., and he still had numerous future responsibilities, such as buying a car, a house, getting married, and having children. He felt overwhelmed by the chaos of these oblig...
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As utilization of China’s C919 airplane grows, it passes the Lunar New Year test.
24Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

As utilization of China’s C919 airplane grows, it passes the Lunar New Year test.

China’s first home-grown narrowbody aircraft, the C919, has taken another step towards proving its reliability, after handling a surge in flights during the Lunar New Year travel rush. The big three Chinese state-owned airlines used their C919 fleets more intensively than ever before, with each C919 staying in the air for an average of 6.5 hours per day over the 40-day holiday period. Though the airlines deployed their Airbus and Boeing aircraft even more, the holiday still represented a test for the C919, as its utilisation rate soared by 40 per cent compared with the same period last year. “The C919 demonstrated its reliability as a daily-use aircraft, and there are no significant weaknesses when compared with Airbus and Boeing,” said Li Hanming, a civil aviation analyst. Th...
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A veteran Treasury official cautions that although Trump’s tariffs threaten upheaval, China’s Xi Jinping may pose the greatest threat to the world economy.
23Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

A veteran Treasury official cautions that although Trump’s tariffs threaten upheaval, China’s Xi Jinping may pose the greatest threat to the world economy.

China’s lopsided trade flows and Xi Jinping’s focus on manufacturing may represent the biggest danger to the global economy, according to former Treasury official Brad Setser. But he added that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are not the solution and could even make matters worse, especially if US trade policy remains unpredictable.China’s policies and the flood of exports it’s unloading around the world could pose the worst threat to the global economy, even eclipsing President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to a former Treasury official. To be sure, Trump’s aggressive tariff stance has caused so much unpredictability that US trade partners don’t know how to react and businesses can’t plan, said Brad Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a deputy assistan...
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China opens up as the United States erects barriers around its economy and threatens tariffs.
23Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

China opens up as the United States erects barriers around its economy and threatens tariffs.

The United States is threatening to impose tariffs on its major trading partners. In the meantime, China is consolidating its position as the world’s manufacturing and technological innovation hub by increasing trade with the Global South. If the American role in globalization has been to consume the world’s products and resources by building on a foundation of ever-increasing debt, China’s has been to make tangible goods for the international market. China is opening up its economy, especially to the nations of the Global South. Effective December 2024, China eliminated all tariffs on goods from the least developed countries. Chinese Premier Li Quang has also described China as an economic opportunity for global investment. The centre of Asian tradeChina’s trade surplus with ...
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China gains, America suffers
22Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

China gains, America suffers

Virtually everyone (family possibly excepted) who has dealt with Donald Trump has lost money; what is worse, he sees them as suckers. Remarkably, over the decades, despite an abundance of such evidence, people get lured into his flimflam show, the final performance of which has just hit the stage, and the suckers, of course, will be the American people. To be fair, Trump’s goal — to bring manufacturing (and high-paying manufacturing jobs) back to the US — is laudable, but the reality is that the US is a high-cost economy which, together with the huge additional risk of volatile government policy, makes it highly unlikely that there will be any serious investment in the US despite it being otherwise attractive. The only way this can change is if the dollar weakens substantially to wh...
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<strong>China’s Shift to Consumption-Driven Economy Faces Significant Hurdles</strong>
22Feb mmBy Walter ParezNo Comments
China

China’s Shift to Consumption-Driven Economy Faces Significant Hurdles

Despite the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) success in driving rapid economic growth, the centralized control that enabled this prosperity is now a burden. The CCP's rigid power structure stifles innovation and flexibility, undermining long-term economic stability. The over-reliance on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and stringent regulations, particularly on the tech sector, hamper competition and deter foreign investment. Efforts to transition to a consumption-driven economy face significant challenges, as households remain cautious spenders. The growing pains, exacerbated by the CCP's policies, pose a significant threat to China's economic future in the year 2025. Critics of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic strategies assert that the centralization of power suppresses c...
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What does it mean for Jack Ma to be back in the spotlight?
21Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

What does it mean for Jack Ma to be back in the spotlight?

A meeting between Chinese president Xi Jinping and some of the country's foremost business leaders this week has fuelled excitement and speculation, after Alibaba founder Jack Ma was pictured at the event. The charismatic and colourful Mr Ma, who was one of China's most prominent businessmen, had withdrawn from public life after criticising China's financial sector in 2020. His reappearance at Monday's event has sparked a wave of discussion, with experts and analysts wondering what it means for him, China's tech sector and the economy in general. The response has been overwhelmingly positive - tech stocks, including those of Alibaba, rallied soon after the event. On Thursday, the e-commerce giant reported financial results that beat expectations, with shares ending the trading...
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Xi Jinping assures businesspeople that the “east wind” will propel China ahead of its competitors.
21Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Xi Jinping assures businesspeople that the “east wind” will propel China ahead of its competitors.

President Xi Jinping has reiterated his view of China’s inevitable rise – a belief that continues to drive policymaking at the highest level – at a closely watched symposium with prominent entrepreneurs, held to boost private-sector morale and shore up economic momentum. He told the assembled business leaders on Monday that the East still holds a great deal of promise and the Chinese economy remains incomparable on the world stage, according to a Friday story from Communist Party news organ People’s Daily that revealed more details of the closed-door meeting.“In the long term, the east wind is still prevailing … confidence is very important,” he said, echoing a slogan from Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China. In the 1950s, the revolutionary leader adopted a phrase ...
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In January, China’s foreign investment plummeted. Is Beijing able to make things better?
20Feb mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

In January, China’s foreign investment plummeted. Is Beijing able to make things better?

Inbound investment in China plummeted to a four-year low in January, as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with a flurry of headwinds. The Ministry of Commerce reported on Wednesday that 97.6 billion yuan ($13.4 billion) in foreign direct investment was utilized last month, a 13% drop from the same period last year. The weak start to the year came after a steep plunge of 27.1% in total annual foreign direct investment (FDI) last year to 826.3 billion yuan ($113.4 billion). It was the lowest figure since 2016. “The decline has narrowed compared to last year, but it is still on a downward trend,” Ling Ji, China’s vice commerce minister, said at a Thursday press conference, where multiple government departments unveiled a 20-point action plan to attract foreign capital. ...
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