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China’s population ageing seen as ‘inevitable’ before 2050. Why push more births? Raising the fertility rate above 1.3 still remains crucial to preventing a far worse scenario later in the century, analysts say “A rapid increase in China’s ageing population rate before 2050 is in

Race against Tesla: China EV maker Xpeng to launch viral humanoid globally in 2027 CEO He Xiaopeng projects the firm will sell 1 million robots by 2030 after ramping up mass production Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng expects to produce more than 1,000 humanoid robots a month

Shanghai synergises computing centres with grid in power infrastructure upgrade Led by State Grid’s local subsidiary, trial marks the largest single city-level adjustment of computing power load, says official newspaper Led by State Grid’s Shanghai subsidiary, the trial achieved

China vows helium-trade policy changes as global tightening squeezes gas supplies A by-product of LNG production, helium is critical for hi-tech industries including semiconductors, medical equipment and aerospace China will adjust its export controls on helium in response to cha

ExclusiveDutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten set to visit China next spring: sources Food security and trade ministers have already visited this year, with another, by Economy Minister Heleen Herbert, under consideration Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is set to visit China next spri

China’s imports from Africa surge after Beijing expands zero-tariff policy China’s growing hunger for critical minerals partly drove the increase, but the tariff reduction is also fuelling trade in several new sectors Africa’s exports to China have surged since Beijing expanded i

Why the West has an uphill task challenging China in pharmaceutical ingredients China’s production of drug inputs has boomed in recent years, increasing market share and prompting fears of weaponisation in Washington After those near-monopolies provided Chinese policymakers consi

Advertisement Opinion China’s consumption has a new, fast-growing driver: local tourists After a blockbuster first half, all eyes will be on how domestic tourism sustains the momentum through the autumn and ‘golden week’ breaks 3-MIN READ3-MIN Listen David Chao is a global market

China completes world’s first commercial brain-computer interface implant Coin-sized implant marks a breakthrough in neurotechnology, underscoring China’s bid to lead the global race against Elon Musk’s Neuralink Chinese surgeons implanted a coin-sized brain chip on a patient wit

Sam Altman signals OpenAI price war as rivalry with Anthropic, China heats up American AI pioneer eyes 75 per cent fee cut for flagship software to counter market gains by Claude and low-cost alternatives from Chinese providers OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman has signalled that

China eyes broader global access to yuan assets, as panda bond demand surges Beijing plans further reforms to make it easier to issue and trade panda bonds, as it focuses on boosting the yuan’s role as a global currency Officials from China’s central bank have pledged to introduc

Osaka-led industry group eyes China mission as corporate Japan navigates trade tensions Delegation from prominent Japanese organisation seeks October talks in Beijing and Xian to repair business partnerships after geopolitical disputes snarled exchanges A Japanese business organi

Connect scheme for gold shines light on China’s financial liberalisation The Connect model has evolved from isolated reforms into a blueprint for China’s financial opening up, with Hong Kong as the bridgehead Rather than embracing wholesale financial liberalisation, China is stea

Amid soaring China exports, Europe’s ports are feeling the heat Amid heatwaves, strikes and surging import volumes, strains on the transport network are causing frequent logistics bottlenecks Prompted by soaring shipments, congestion along the China-Europe Railway Express has wor

AI investor mania: China’s DeepSeek chases US$70 billion valuation in fresh round Company’s fresh fundraising talks come straight off its landmark Series A, as investors scramble to back national AI champion DeepSeek launched the new round shortly after closing the landmark deal

China’s second-quarter GDP growth misses mark, with lowest reading since end of 2022 Growth rate of 4.3 per cent complicates the country’s push to meet annual targets, contrasts with strong trade figures China reported 4.3 per cent gross domestic product growth in the second quar

China increases holdings of US Treasuries despite diversification trend Overall foreign holdings climb to US$9.371 trillion in May, with China’s rising to US$659.3 billion after hitting an 18-year low in April China modestly increased its holdings of US Treasuries in May after th

China issues plan to revitalise – and potentially commercialise – uninhabited islands Government document lays out plan for thousands of islets, many of which are rich in minerals and fresh water but have been damaged over time The document, called “Opinions on Improving the Syst

Louis Vuitton takes China’s trademark regulator to court as legal drive continues The French luxury brand is suing the government body as it faces backlash over a trademark dispute with a Chinese milk tea chain Louis Vuitton Malletier filed the administrative lawsuit against the

Advertisement China’s StepFun claims it has unveiled the world’s first AI smartphone Tencent-backed firm launches the AI-native StepX Neo smartphone, challenging US tech giants amid Apple-OpenAI legal clashes 2-MIN READ2-MIN 1 Listen Minxiao Changin Shenzhen As Apple’s latest leg

Global AI boom sees China’s chip exports nearly double in first half of year Exports of automatic data processing machines and parts jumped more than 41 per cent to top US$138 billion China’s chip exports nearly doubled in the first half of the year, customs data shows, as a glob

China’s Hainan cements 2030 petrol-car ban, leading nation’s EV infrastructure push New road map for the tropical free-trade hub highlights advancements in fleet electrification, creating a potential template for other provinces to follow China’s tropical resort island of Hainan

China’s trade surges in first half of 2026, maintaining growth amid global tensions Exports rose by 27 per cent year on year and imports grew by 36 per cent last month, both beating projections China’s exports continued to grow robustly in June, supported by a boom in technology

Chinese AI labs to challenge Thinking Machines Lab with new industry focus AI labs Yoolee and InfiX.ai say they aim to rival US start-up with industry-specific AI solutions, reduced costs and enhanced privacy Two former Chinese AI lab leaders said they aim to challenge Thinking M

Dollar risks rising but Plaza Accord-style coordination not feasible now: ex-IMF adviser Economic historian Barry Eichengreen says if current policy paths persist, modern rifts could bring about a confidence crisis in the US currency With central banks prioritising domestic objec

Shein executive chairman to step down as IPO nears completion, sources say The departure of Chinese-American billionaire Donald Tang raises the question of whether founder Sky Xu will now step into the spotlight Shein Executive Chairman Donald Tang will step down as his mission o

Advertisement How China’s aerospace vision differs from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Friday’s retrieval of a rocket booster made China the second nation to master the precision recovery of an orbital-class rocket component 3-MIN READ3-MIN 15 Listen Frank Chenin Shanghai China’s controlled

Shanghai port secures second place in global ranking, overtaking London A core focus for the port, the busiest in the world and China’s shipbuilding centre, is to become a premier international shipping hub The Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI)

China’s historic sea-based rocket recovery puts spotlight on domestic shipbuilder Unlike conventional vessels, the platform must maintain exceptional stability and positioning accuracy in rough seas Following the maiden launch of China’s reusable Long March-10B rocket on Friday,

China seen using new tool to finance hi-tech advances amid slower economic growth Goldman Sachs says deploying an 800 billion yuan financial instrument into strategic investments could provide an economic boost China could accelerate the deployment of an 800 billion yuan (US$117.

China’s C919 still on Malaysia Airlines’ radar, but Western certification preferred Opportunities for Comac’s C919 will increase with certification by Western aviation regulators, a Malaysia Aviation Group executive says In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Bryan Fo

Why factories in southern China are feeling the squeeze despite pickup in orders Manufacturers hoping for stimulus measures turn attention to coming Politburo meeting as costs eat into profits and investment While official manufacturing data for June showed continued expansion, e

China’s auto shipments to EU surge, but could be near their peak: European analysts The rapid ascent of Chinese car brands in Europe could be nearing a turning point as both the EU and Germany consider protectionist measures One in every 10 new cars registered in the European Uni

Advertisement Tech stocks capture China’s elderly retail investors amid faith in nation’s tech sector State support in the sector and frustration over slow gains in blue chip stocks has elderly Chinese changing returns in technology 3-MIN READ3-MIN Listen Emma Main Shanghai Techn

Advertisement Opinion EU isn’t just selling aircraft to China. It’s helping strengthen a competitor China Eastern’s multibillion-dollar Airbus orders, after EU delays on certifying Chinese planes, show not inconsistency but leverage towards a long-term goal 3-MIN READ3-MIN 2 List

How a quiet Chinese fishing village became a global surfing hotspot Wanning, on tropical Hainan Island, is now home to 160 surf clubs and welcomes 500,000 visitors a year Wu Runqun still recalls the fishing village Wanning once was, nearly 20 years ago. Now in his 40s, in those y

In China, parents turn to AI to help children select a university degree This summer, millions of families turned to AI for advice on selecting a degree programme – a role once played by teachers, relatives and consultants Zhang Qi, a ride-hailing driver based in Guangzhou, has t

Chinese delivery worker uniform wins top French Design Award It marks the first time the Gold Award has been given for workwear design in its 11-year history “Its racing-inspired design gives riders a symbol of pride and belonging while building a more positive connection with cu

BYD showcases battery, charging technology in 15,000km journey from Rome to Hong Kong Chinese electric vehicle maker says journey was inspired by travels of Marco Polo more than 750 years ago A fleet of upgraded versions of the Z9GT, a car produced under BYD’s premium Denza brand

Volkswagen China deliveries see 26% drop year on year to lowest point since 2010 The European carmaker is losing ground to domestic EV rivals as it sees its lowest delivery volume in over a decade and half Through its three ventures with Chinese partners, the German car brand han

Don’t expect the rising tide of AI to lift all boats While economies linked to hi-tech supply chains may perform well, unequal outcomes and economic instability still loom for much of the world Certain economies in Asia and beyond that are doing well happen to be tied to the AI i

Beyond Claude Code: the Chinese AI tools poised to benefit after back-door alert As Beijing flags a security risk in Anthropic software, domestic tech firms are rapidly embracing local alternatives such as ByteDance’s Trae and Alibaba’s Qoder China’s National Vulnerability Databa

China has poured funding into flood defences. Has the investment paid off? Chinese authorities have ramped up spending on disaster prevention in recent years, but some worry local debt levels could hinder the campaign “The central government has ramped up funding for natural disa

Chinese chip start-up aims to build 5-nanometre equivalent chips without using EUV by 2029 The company says the production line launch marks a critical step towards China’s drive for tech self-sufficiency A Chinese chip start-up has launched what it claims to be the world’s first

How the New Left won the battle of ideas for 21st-century China Their revisionism challenges the neoliberal perspective which treats Maoist command economics and Deng-era capitalist reforms as diametrically opposed We are all used to Western assessments of Deng Xiaoping. You may

China to head off AI-fuelled inequality by lifting salaries, narrowing pay gap Five-year blueprint targets middle-income-group expansion, vocational training and collective wage bargaining to insulate workforce from income inequality China has made income growth and the reform of