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China consumption

China consumption
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China consumption. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
An elderly man walks past a bank branch in the Central Business District in Beijing in April. Photo: EPA-EFE
Banking & finance

China’s credit demand weak in April despite policy support, strong industry

Lending growth slows as borrowing demand from households and businesses remains weak.

China inflation

China’s producer, consumer inflation up in April as Iran war pressures persist

China economy

Opinion | Can China engineer a price recovery that doesn’t make people feel poorer?

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China travel

China’s record travel volume meets cautious spending in May Day holiday surge

Thousands of domestic train services added on last day of ‘golden week’ to meet record demand, and high energy costs affect consumer spending.

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Dozens of yachts are seen in waters off the coast of China’s Hainan province on Sunday, during a five-day national holiday. Photo: Xinhua
China’s film industry

China’s Labour Day box office disappoints despite strong line-up – what happened?

Cold War 1994 and The Devil Wears Prada 2 were tipped to shine in a crowded release window – but many consumers chose to stay away.

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China GDP

China’s economy in 2026

First-quarter GDP grew 5 per cent as strong manufacturing and exports masked weak domestic spending and a March slowdown.

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Shenzhen

Shenzhen’s economic dilemma: soaring GDP, stagnant consumption

Shenzhen’s retail sales barely rose in the first quarter despite strong GDP growth, a sign of the Chinese tech hub’s unbalanced development.

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People shop at CoCo Park in Shenzhen last month. Photo: Edmond So
China's economic recovery

China’s ‘common prosperity’ push faces reality check as inequality rises: study

A leading economist warns widening income and wealth gaps are constraining Beijing’s agenda.

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China travel

From Beijing to backwaters? Why China’s live music boom is spreading

Local authorities are using big concerts to attract tourists and revenue, part of broader efforts to boost consumption under new five-year plan.

China trade

Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train

A new cold-storage rail service is whisking mountains of durians from Thailand to China, reducing prices for the prized fruit.

A shopper browses a mound of durians at a market in Hong Kong. Photo: Eugene Lee
China travel

Trip.com aims to bring 200 million tourists to China, buoying GDP growth

The company believes China could become the world’s top tourism destination, according to reports.

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Foreign tourists order food at a restaurant in Tianjin, northern China, on April 24. Photo: Xinhua
China's economic recovery

Open Questions | How China can avoid a repeat of Japan’s ‘lost decades’

Bai Chongen, an economist and adviser to China’s government, explains how the country can dodge ‘Japanification’ and why its economic rise is misunderstood.

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China travel

China braces for record Labour Day travel surge as tourism demand remains robust

China expects to handle a record 304 million cross-regional trips per day over the holiday, as the government focuses on boosting consumption.

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China trade

Beijing touts mineral dominance, boosts autonomy drive, ahead of Trump’s visit

Ministry of Natural Resources boasts world-leading reserves of 14 minerals and vows to keep boosting output and exploration as geopolitical risks weigh on resources.

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Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of various rare earth elements are seen on a Chinese flag. Illustration: Reuters
Banking & finance

China targets ‘zombies’ with regulatory headshots to kill off indebted laggards

Six provinces and the capital city test a forced-insolvency pilot to purge overcapacity and dismantle local protectionism, prioritising market efficiency.

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A worker produces photovoltaic modules for export at the workshop of a new-energy company in China’s Jiangsu province. Findings indicate a disproportionately high number of “zombie companies” in the nation’s renewables sector. Photo: Getty Images
China birth rate

In China, a France-sized population loss begins to test coastal powerhouses

Rising pension burdens and social security subsidies are also straining public finances – though trends remain uneven, analysts say.

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China GDP

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

A rival provincial powerhouse, with a GDP as big as some G7 nations, is becoming a hub for strategic emerging sectors while outpacing the national economic growth rate.

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Pop Mart

Pop Mart comes with a cool idea for red-hot Labubu: mini-fridges

The Chinese toymaker is launching two limited-edition Labubu-themed mini-refrigerators priced at US$878 each.

Labubu plush toys and keychains became popular globally in 2024. Photo: Dickson Lee
China manufacturing

China’s industrial profits hit 6-month high amid Iran war price spikes

Fuel-processing sector pivots to profit while tech gains shield margins from modest revenue growth, highlighting an efficiency-led rally over a demand recovery.

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Banking & finance

Beijing ramps up tax crackdown, frames consumption levies as fiscal lifelines

Authorities target retailers, shell companies and off-the-books manoeuvres to lessen tax liabilities.

Pop Mart

China’s Pop Mart eyes expansion at home and abroad for its Pop Land theme park

The company’s sole theme park in Beijing will launch its upgraded Labubu Forest Zone on Thursday.

Pop Mart’s Pop Land theme park in Beijing. Photo: AFP
China GDP

China beats expectations with 5% growth in first GDP release since Iran war

‘Stronger than expected’ growth figure indicates minimal impact from the conflict and a low likelihood for near-term stimulus, analysts said.

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A coil of copper is moved at an electrical materials factory in Dongyang, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
China property

As I see it | Helpful analysts predict China property recovery now, soon and much later

While some economists draw parallels with Japan’s ‘lost decade’, others note key differences when it comes to China’s sluggish recovery.

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China inflation

China’s factory-gate prices rise for first time in 3 years as Iran war bites

The producer price index rose by 0.5 per cent in March, the first increase since 2022, as soaring global commodity prices affected Chinese firms.

China-Latin America relations

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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People shop for beef at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China. Brazil’s beef exporters are rapidly filling their quota for China, leaving them now seeking new buyers. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
China's economic recovery

Xi Jinping backs services sector to power China’s next growth phase

Beijing is counting on services to rebalance growth as it faces economic headwinds and demographic challenges.

President Xi Jinping chairs a symposium in the Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei province, on March 23. Photo: Xinhua
Retailing

China’s luxury spending seen boosting global sales in 2026 despite headwinds

Affluent Chinese consumers are expected to splurge, though a volatile property market and oil price shocks pose challenges, analysts say.

Tianjin

Japanese chains lose ground in north China as competition and deflation bite

Store closures in Beijing and Tianjin highlight mounting pressure from domestic rivals amid shifting consumer habits.

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