EU-China trade relations in ‘slow-motion train accident’: business group

A photovoltaic module company in Hefei, Anhui province, on Feb. 20, 2024. Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — Trade tensions between Europe and Beijing will likely escalate due to China’s growing ability to manufacture more cheaply in strategic industries, according to Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce … Read more

China retail sales, industrial data for first 2 months beats expectations

High-rise residential and commercial buildings are being constructed near Dongyu Road, Qiantan, in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, on March 15, 2024.  Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images BEIJING —  China’s economic data for the first two months of the year beat analysts’ expectations on Monday. Retail sales rose 5.5%, better than the … Read more

Nio plans to launch its mass market EV brand in May

Nio holds a product event in Shanghai on Sept. 21, 2023. Evelyn Cheng | CNBC BEIJING — Chinese premium electric car company Nio said Thursday it plans to reveal its mass market brand in May. Executives confirmed the new brand will be named “Le Dao” in Chinese, and said the name is meant to reflect … Read more

Xiaomi is set to launch its SU7 electric car on March 28

Chinese consumer electronics company Xiaomi revealed Thurs., Dec. 28, 2023, its long-awaited electric car, but declined to share its price or specific release date. CNBC | Evelyn Cheng BEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi announced Tuesday it would formally launch its long-awaited electric car on March 28. The company claimed in a social media post … Read more

Key takeaways from 2024 China parliamentary meeting: economy, environment

A soldier in front of the Great Hall of the People on March 11, 2024, the closing day of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, China. Yin Hon Chow | CNBC BEIJING — China’s weeklong annual parliamentary meetings ended on Monday and for the first time in decades, the Chinese premier did not host a … Read more

Property developers must go bankrupt if needed

China’s real estate sector has employed many construction workers, who typically live in temporary housing nearby. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s struggling real estate developers won’t be getting a major bailout, Chinese authorities have indicated, warning that those who “harm the interests of the masses” will be punished. “For real estate … Read more

China is making it much easier for foreigners to use mobile pay

Scanning QR codes with a mobile pay app has become the most common way to pay in mainland China. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — Foreign visitors to China can now spend up to $2,000 a year using the mobile app Alipay without having to register their ID, the app operator said Friday. … Read more

China doubles down on manufacturing, leaving real estate behind

Huawei’s Aito electric cars are manufactured by Seres in Chongqing, China.  China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images BEIJING — China revealed this week it aims to spend more than a billion dollars to bolster manufacturing and domestic tech in a bid to remain globally competitive, while divulging little new support for … Read more

China blames U.S. for bilateral tensions, reaffirms support for Palestinians

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in 2019. Mark Kauzlarich | Reuters BEIJING — China’s top diplomat slammed the U.S. for worsening bilateral tensions, while reiterating Beijing’s support for peaceful resolutions to the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine conflicts. “There is some progress in the China-U.S. bilateral relationship, but we have to point out that U.S. continues … Read more

China’s PBOC governor says there’s room to cut banks’ RRR

China’s central bank governor said there was room to further cut banks’ reserve requirements, and pledged to utilize monetary policy to prop up consumer prices. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s central bank governor said there was room to further cut banks’ reserve requirements, and pledged to utilize monetary policy to “mildly” … Read more