Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 487
PBOC’s First Targeted Rate Cut of 2026 Lowers Bank Funding Costs to Boost SMEs, Tech and Green Transition
The People’s Bank of China cut re‑lending and rediscount rates by 25 basis points on 19 January 2026, lowering the cost of earmarked funding for banks to encourage lending to small enterprises, technology, manufacturing upgrade and green projects. The step is a structural, targeted easing rather than a broad policy-rate cut, and signals Beijing’s preference for directed credit support while keeping overall interest-rate policy stable.
Family Feud and Faded Sneakers: How Double Star's Boardroom Battle Hastened a Century‑Old Brand’s Decline
A public, high‑profile family rupture at Double Star — sparked by contested share transfers, a fight over corporate seals and a founder’s rejection of heirs with U.S. residency — has exposed governance weaknesses at a once‑iconic Chinese shoemaker. The dispute distracts from long‑standing strategic problems: brand ageing, market share erosion and failure to modernise product and marketing.
Busy Slopes, Thin Margins: How China’s Ski Industry Is Being Forced to Reinvent Itself
China’s ski industry is booming in visitor numbers but struggling to turn foot traffic into sustainable profits. High fixed costs, short natural seasons, competition from indoor facilities and the collapse of property-financed models are forcing resorts to adopt four-season operations, flexible staffing and deeper service integration to survive.
China’s Electric-Car Moment: From Subsidy Reliance to a Naked Competition for Tech, Range and Loyalty
China’s electric‑vehicle market crossed a critical threshold in 2025, with EV penetration topping 50 percent and charging and swapping infrastructure expanding rapidly. As subsidies taper in 2026, competition will pivot from market share driven by policy to product, software and service quality—making tech depth, cost control and ecosystem play decisive factors.
China’s Auto Crown Up For Grabs: How Chongqing, Hefei and Regional Strategies are Redrawing the Map
In 2025 China’s auto industry saw a geopolitical and strategic reshuffle: Chongqing has claimed de facto leadership on the strength of Seres and Huawei’s AITO, Hefei has emerged as the country’s leading NEV production hub through an investment‑led model, and coastal cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou are refocusing on high‑value upstream technology and industrial transformation. A statistical reclassification of production sites also shifted the apparent rankings, underscoring how policy and accounting can reshape perceived industrial strength.
China's Economy Hits 140 Trillion Yuan as Stimulus, High-Tech Industry and Exports Sustain 5% Growth
China’s GDP grew 5.0% in 2025 to 140.19 trillion yuan, powered by stepped-up fiscal stimulus, robust exports and faster expansion in high-tech manufacturing. Analysts expect growth to be around 4.8–5.0% in 2026, with risks centring on the property sector, local-government debt and potential weakening external demand.
Hainan’s One-Month Boom: How China’s Sealed-Border Free-Trade Port Has Unleashed a Shopping and Investment Rush
One month after China sealed Hainan as a full free-trade port, duty-free retail, tourism and new business registrations have surged. Cheaper imports, expanded visa-free access and relaxed tariff rules have turned the island into a magnet for shoppers and firms, but the rapid boom poses sustainability and distributional questions.
China closes the '14th Five' with 5% growth — industrial upgrade and exports bolster a still-fragile recovery
China reported 5.0% real GDP growth in 2025 and declared the goals of the 14th Five-Year Plan achieved, driven by gains in high-tech manufacturing, exports and services. Yet consumption remains tepid, fixed-asset investment — particularly in property — has fallen markedly, and demographic decline and external uncertainty pose medium-term risks.
China’s December Energy Snapshot: Coal Eases While Gas and Refining Tick Up
China’s December 2025 energy data showed a small decline in coal production, stable crude output, faster refinery throughput, steady growth in natural gas production, and marginally higher power generation. The composition of power output—declining thermal generation alongside rising but decelerating renewables—highlights both seasonal effects and ongoing grid integration challenges.
China’s Investment Engine Stalls: Fixed‑Asset Spending Drops in 2025 as Services and Private Capital Retreat
China’s fixed‑asset investment fell 3.8% in 2025 to RMB 485,186 billion, driven by a steep decline in services spending and weak private and foreign investment. Targeted gains in energy and logistics projects offset broader weakness, leaving policy‑makers to balance short‑term stimulus with medium‑term fiscal risks.
China’s Property Slump Deepens in 2025: Investment, Starts and Sales All Contract Sharply
China’s 2025 property statistics show a broad contraction: development investment fell 17.2%, new housing starts dropped over 20%, and developer financing shrank 13.4%. The results reflect persistent demand weakness and tighter credit, posing risks to growth, employment and local government finances while leaving policymakers with limited but targeted easing options.
China’s Industrial Output Ends 2025 Stronger but Uneven: Tech and Transport Up, Steel and Cement Down
China's industrial value added for large firms rose 5.2% year on year in December and 5.9% for 2025, with manufacturing and high‑tech sectors outperforming traditional heavy industries. Strong gains in electronics, transport equipment and new energy vehicles contrast with declines in steel and cement, reflecting an ongoing rebalancing of domestic demand and industrial structure.