Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 467
Forty‑Times Leverage Unravels: Shenzhen Gold Dealer’s Online Pre‑sale Platform Freezes Payouts, Investors Face Massive Losses
A Shenzhen jewellery firm that expanded into online, high‑leverage “pre‑sale” gold and silver products has frozen withdrawals and capped daily payouts after a run on its mini‑program platforms. Investors nationwide report unresolved balances in the hundreds of millions to billions of yuan; regulators in Shenzhen have opened an inquiry and the company has proposed steeply discounted settlements. The episode exposes risks from lightly supervised retail leverage, social‑media distribution and opaque hedging practices in China’s precious‑metals market.
Vanke’s Quiet Storm: Yu Liang’s Sudden Exit and the Debt Tightrope That Could Define China’s Property Comeback
Yu Liang retired from Vanke on January 8 but has been conspicuously absent since, fuelling internal rumours he may be under scrutiny. Vanke has just cleared a crucial debt extension, but heavy leverage and opaque off‑balance financing leave the company and its former boss vulnerable to further regulatory and financial shocks.
China’s Dining Boom Draws Top Capital — But Winners Will Be Small Stores with Tough Supply Chains
Top-tier capital is increasingly targeting China’s restaurant industry, shifting the investment focus from rapid outlet expansion to small, high-quality stores, resilient supply chains and digital brand-building. The move is professionalising operations and will likely prompt clearer regulation and greater transparency, but success will hinge on balancing freshness, cost and platform economics.
Anta’s Big Gamble: Buying a Stake in Puma to Jumpstart Global Ambitions
Anta Sports has agreed to buy a 29.06% stake in Puma for €1.5bn, becoming the German brand’s largest shareholder as it seeks faster international growth. The transaction gives Anta global brand heft but presents integration challenges: Puma already competes in China, the stake is non‑controlling, and Puma’s recent losses highlight the turnaround work ahead.
Gold Surge and a Weakened Dollar: Markets Riposte as Trump Pressures Powell
Gold jumped past $5,200 per ounce as the U.S. dollar tumbled to near four-year lows amid falling consumer confidence and heightened political pressure on the Federal Reserve. President Trump’s public attacks on Chair Jerome Powell and the disclosure of a federal inquiry into Powell’s conduct have compounded market concerns about the independence of U.S. monetary policy.
Bright Dairy Reboots Growth with Tech, Culture and a Shanghai‑Only Milk
Bright Dairy used a high‑profile Shanghai launch to roll out premium and localized products, service upgrades and cultural tourism projects that combine R&D, urban branding and experiential marketing. The moves reflect a broader strategy by Chinese state‑linked consumer firms to compete on quality, provenance and health functionality rather than price alone.
Chery Enters Electric Pickup Race with RELY R08 EV, Backed by an Energy-and-Services Alliance
Chery’s RELY brand launched its first pure‑electric pickup, the R08 EV, priced at RMB 127,800–158,800 and offered in two trims. The company also formed a “Qilin Power Ecological Alliance” to integrate energy supply, smart‑agriculture tools and engineering equipment, underscoring a shift toward vehicle‑plus‑services strategies in the electric pickup market.
Tether’s Quiet Gold Grab: Crypto Firm Eyes a Central‑Bank‑Like Role in the Bull Market
Tether has been buying physical gold at a rate reportedly exceeding one tonne per week, positioning itself as one of the largest private holders of bullion and signaling an ambition to operate like a central bank in the gold market. CEO Paolo Ardoino says the company will keep reinvesting profits into gold and compete with banks on bullion trading, while warning that geopolitical rivals may pursue gold‑backed currency alternatives.
When a ‘Turnkey’ Road Becomes a Debt Marathon: How a Sichuan Highway Project Exposed Re‑survey Risks and Platform‑Company Debt Tactics
A decade‑old turnkey highway link in Ziyang has produced a cascade of unpaid bills, about 52 lawsuits and an at‑risk private contractor after competing geotechnical reports, subsequent criminal convictions, and a controversial re‑survey that was later rebranded as a "consultation". The dispute highlights systemic risks in how local platform companies manage legacy debts and could set a dangerous precedent for overturning long‑standing technical findings.
Beijing Orders 2026 Tax Overhaul to Boost Local Budgets and Expand Social Insurance
China’s tax authority has announced a 2026 push to deepen tax reform, expand legally authorised local taxes and strengthen social insurance through national pension pooling, provincial medical insurance coordination and accelerated long‑term care pilots. The package aims to stabilise local finances and broaden welfare coverage, but implementation choices will determine the economic and political trade‑offs.
Indonesia Market Halts as MSCI Freeze and Governance Concerns Trigger 8% Rout
Indonesia’s stock benchmark fell 8% to 8,261.79 on January 28, triggering a 30‑minute trading halt after MSCI paused index adjustments over concerns about concentrated shareholdings. The local index provider froze new constituents and actions that would increase tradable shares, heightening concerns about governance, liquidity and foreign capital flows.
Foshan’s Hydrogen-Bus Gamble: Subsidies Buy an Industry Cluster — Not Always Service on the Road
Foshan invested heavily in hydrogen fuel‑cell buses to foster a local hydrogen industry, buying roughly 1,000 vehicles and supporting refuelling infrastructure. High fuel costs, falling ridership and limited fiscal space have left many buses parked after they reach subsidy thresholds, exposing the gap between industrial demonstration and operating economics.