Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3073
Chinese Cities Move to Curb ‘Involution’ in Food-Delivery Price Wars Ahead of Spring Festival
Several Chinese municipal market regulators have ordered food-delivery platforms to halt low-price, subsidy-driven “involution” ahead of the Spring Festival, banning predatory subsidies, ‘‘choose-one’’ exclusivity, data-based price discrimination and coercive promotional tactics. The measures aim to protect small merchants, restore market order during a high-demand period, and push platforms to shift from capital-driven growth to value creation.
Ren Zeping Urges Investors to Embrace a ‘Slow Bull’ and the Long Wave — Markets Could Rebound
Prominent economist Ren Zeping has urged investors to position for a renewed upswing in Chinese equities and commodities, invoking long-wave (Kondratiev) cycles and warning against excessive short-term caution. His social-media remarks, mixing market advice with a colloquial contrast between conservative and opportunistic investors, could influence sentiment in retail-dominated Chinese markets and have knock-on effects for global commodity demand.
Fed and CBO Find U.S. Households Shoulder Almost All of Trump’s Tariff Bill
New York Fed and CBO analyses show roughly 90% of the cost of President Trump’s tariff surge has been borne by American households and businesses. The reports highlight sharp price increases, elevated economic uncertainty and rising political strain in Washington, where legal and congressional challenges to the tariff program are mounting.
From TikTok Fallout to a Billion‑Yuan Food‑Delivery Bloodbath: China’s Top Commercial Surprises of 2025
China’s 2025 commercial surprises — from the overseas success of Xiaohongshu and the blockbuster Nezha sequel to Pop Mart’s meteoric rise, Starbucks’ partial China JV and a destructive food‑delivery subsidy war — reveal a market driven by cultural momentum, geopolitical spillovers and ruthless competition. These events expose both opportunity for scalable consumer IP and persistent structural risks in margins, supply chains and valuation dynamics.
Shenzhen Moves to Quash Online Gold Scams — Bans Hype, Apps and Pre‑Pricing Schemes
Shenzhen has issued a public notice banning illegal gold pre‑pricing schemes, leveraged and deferred trades, misleading online marketing and the development or support of unlawful gold‑trading apps. The move targets tech‑enabled distribution channels and warns banks and payment firms to refuse service to illegal operators while pointing retail investors toward authorised gold ETFs, futures and physical purchases through accredited sellers.
How China’s ‘Black Strawberry’ Is Challenging the Cherry’s Lunar New Year Crown
Black strawberries have erupted into China’s Lunar New Year fruit market, driven by scarcity, distinctive appearance and social-media buzz, challenging imported Chilean cherries whose prices have weakened. Improved greenhouse techniques and colourful gift-box packaging have helped domestic strawberries move from niche novelty to mainstream seasonal contender.
Beijing Mandates 'Insure Before Take‑Off' for Drones — Liability Cover to Be Phased In by 2027
China has ordered the phased establishment of a mandatory liability insurance regime for unmanned aircraft, aiming for an initial system by 2027 and a comprehensive framework by 2030. The plan links insurance to flight approvals, promotes expanded insurance products across the drone value chain, and calls for a national data platform to support underwriting and supervision.
PBOC to Inject ¥1 Trillion via Six‑Month Buyout Reverse Repo to Bolster Bank Liquidity
China’s central bank will inject ¥10 trillion via a six‑month buyout reverse repo on 13 February to ensure ample banking liquidity. The move provides durable, medium‑term funding and signals a continued, measured easing stance aimed at supporting financing conditions and stabilising the economy.
400‑Year‑Old Knife‑and‑Scissors Maker Loses Majority After Debt‑Driven Share Auction
Zhang Xiaoquan, a 400‑year‑old knife‑and‑scissors maker listed in 2021, has seen its largest shareholder position change hands after judicial auctions triggered by its controlling group’s debt crisis. The company now lacks a controlling shareholder, faces concentrated revenue risk and governance uncertainty, even as a new investor with e‑commerce credentials forecasts a sizeable profit rebound for 2025.
Divorce Forces Transfer of Rmb1.29bn Stake in China RF‑Chip Firm as Company Reports First Annual Loss
Zhuosheng Micro’s chairman, Xu Zhihan, has transferred roughly half of his directly held shares — valued at about Rmb1.29 billion (≈US$190m) — to his ex‑wife as part of a divorce settlement. The move comes as the company warned of its first annual loss since listing in 2019, raising investor concerns about potential share sales, governance stability and management continuity.
China’s MBA Market Loses Its Shine as Tuition Cuts and Job Softness Expose Weak ROI
China’s MBA market is under pressure as the 2025 national entrance line falls to a 25-year low and universities slash fees to attract candidates. Economic slowdown, shrinking hiring by major employers and falling cohort quality mean the degree’s traditional ROI is increasingly uncertain, making MBAs worthwhile mainly for narrowly defined objectives.
China’s Small‑Cap Growth Board Rallies on a Wave of AI Compute Stocks as Consumption Lags
China’s ChiNext and tech‑heavy STAR board outperformed as investors poured money into stocks tied to AI computing power and data‑centre infrastructure, lifting several mid‑caps to multi‑day gains. The rally was narrow: overall market breadth was weak with more than 3,200 decliners, and consumer sectors registered significant losses.