Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 3095
China's 2026 Growth Playbook: Policy Push, Consumption Pivot and a Tech-Led Transition
China ended 2025 with 5% GDP growth and its economy topping RMB 140 trillion. For 2026 economists expect coordinated fiscal and targeted monetary easing to prioritise domestic demand, with consumption and services leading a structural shift toward technology-driven growth.
China’s 2026 Spending Engine: Middle‑Aged Women and the Rising Silver Economy
As China begins the 15th Five‑Year Plan, policymakers are prioritising a large lift in household consumption and shifting subsidies toward services. The heaviest spenders in 2026 are likely to be asset‑rich middle‑aged women and digitally engaged retirees, who together offer more durable, high‑value consumption than younger cohorts. Brands that invest in scientific credibility, trust‑building and community models will be best positioned to capture this demand.
Former Husband Sues China’s ‘Courier Queen’ Over 20 Million STO Shares — A Small Stake, Big Governance Questions
A former husband, and ex-deputy general manager of STO Express, has sued to claim half of a 40.57 million-share block held in the name of co-founder Chen Xiaoying, seeking about 20.28 million shares worth roughly 280 million yuan. STO says the suit concerns a private divorce-related shareholder qualification dispute and will not materially affect operations or control, but the case raises broader questions about governance in family-controlled Chinese listed companies.
Shandong Surpasses 10 Trillion RMB: A Chinese Province Now Rivals Medium‑Sized Economies
Shandong reported 2025 GDP of about 10.32 trillion RMB, roughly $1.48 trillion at current exchange rates, placing it among the world’s largest subnational economies. The milestone reflects deep industrial roots, deliberate upgrading toward high‑tech sectors, institutional reforms and an emphasis on regional coordination and green transition, but significant challenges remain in sustaining high‑quality, low‑carbon growth.
Haidilao’s Founder Returns as CEO as Customers and Profits Slide
Haidilao’s founder Zhang Yong has resumed the CEO role after a steep decline in customers and profits. The chain faces falling foot traffic, squeezed per-customer spending and costly service standards, prompting a pivot into incubated sub-brands and experiential formats that have yet to scale.
Zotye's Comeback Push: Mass Hiring Signals Ambition to Restart Car Production Amid Restructuring
Zotye Auto has launched a broad recruitment campaign for nearly 50 roles, a move tied to preparations to resume vehicle production after years of near‑hiatus following bankruptcy restructuring. Recent board changes and partial unwinding of frozen assets have improved the company’s funding outlook, but Zotye remains loss‑making and will need strategic capital and technological upgrades to mount a sustainable comeback.
XPeng’s Engineering Push: Vice‑President Leads Talks with Dong'an Power on Mass Production and Next‑Gen Engines
XPeng’s vice‑president Gu Jie led talks with Dong'an Power to advance a mass‑production project and next‑generation engine development. The meeting underscores a pragmatic shift in China’s NEV sector toward supplier partnerships and diversified powertrain options to manage cost, range and competitive pressures.
Xpeng Delegation Visits Dong'an Power as Talks on Mass Production and Next‑Gen Engines Advance
Xpeng’s vice‑president Gu Jie led a delegation to Dong'an Power to discuss moving a production project into mass manufacture and cooperating on next‑generation engine technology. The meeting, attended by senior technical and commercial leaders from Dong'an, resulted in alignment on core issues and reflects a broader trend of EV makers partnering with traditional suppliers to secure hardware options and de‑risk production.
A Broken Handle, a Firedrill and a Nearly ¥6bn Hangover: How Zhang Xiaoquan’s Quality Scandal Exposed a Deeper Corporate Crisis
A viral video showing a Zhang Xiaoquan kitchen scissor handle snapping has reopened scrutiny of the century‑old brand, exposing product‑quality issues and weak customer service. The crisis comes amid a far larger financial implosion: the controlling shareholder’s aggressive expansion and cross‑guarantees have left Zhang Xiaoquan enveloped in nearly ¥6bn of risk, prompting judicial restructuring and asset auctions.
China’s Economy and Tech Swerve Between Commercial Ambition and Policy Recalibration
China’s private-sector dynamism is on display: a domestically built commercial passenger spacecraft opened 3 million-yuan ticket sales, while TikTok formalised a U.S. data-and-content entity to keep American users connected. Markets and commodities reacted: gold hit a record high and equities rallied in technology, materials and consumer niches, even as local governments roll back high-stakes school exams and industrial automation tests promise large efficiency gains.
China’s Fund Managers Shift Stakes: CATL Tops Holdings as Moutai Falls to No.4 and Banks Gain Ground
Fund holdings disclosed in China’s 2025 Q4 reports show a concentrated shift: CATL, two optical‑communications suppliers and Zijin Mining join Guizhou Moutai among five stocks with fund holdings above RMB 100 billion. Managers pared back positions in several high‑growth industrials while topping up banks, insurers and resource names, and FOF allocations favoured short‑duration bond products.
Walmart China and Xiaohongshu Open 'Mashu' Experience Store — A Bet on Interest-Driven Retail
Walmart China and Xiaohongshu opened a jointly branded concept store in Shenzhen that combines Walmart's supply-chain and private-label strengths with Xiaohongshu's trend insights to create interest-led, experiential shopping. The "Mashu" store replaces category shelves with themed "interest islands" and co-branded SKUs, signalling Walmart's strategic shift from mass merchandising toward customer-centred, omnichannel retail.