China economy

China’s top trade negotiator He Lifeng slated to meet global CEOs in Davos

China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng delivering his statement at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Nov 17, 2025.

Weak domestic demand continues to blight China’s economy as growth slows in Q4

People walk out from a mall in Beijing on January 18, 2026. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP)

The dangerous triumph of neo-mercantilism

Containers at Longtan port in Nanjing in January offer a snapshot of the volume of Chinese exports that resulted in over US$1 trillion in trade surplus in 2025. .

China new home prices fall again in December; annual decline steepest in five months

Property investment in China dropped 17.2 per cent while home sales by floor area decreased 8.7 per cent in 2025, according to separate official data.

China hits 2025 GDP growth target on export boom, but can’t shake domestic chill

China's economy showed remarkable resilience in 2025, helped by smaller-than-expected US tariff hikes and exporters’ diversification efforts.

Beijing’s clear blue skies come at an uncomfortable cost

ltopinion19 - Ms Liu (right) and her neighbour sunbathe as they walk through wheat fields still dormant in winter on a January afternoon in a village in Baoding, Hebei province, China.
ST PHOTO: YEW LUN TIAN

News analysis

China’s slowdown set to deepen as pivot to consumption stalls

China is set to release data on Jan 19 showing that a historic contraction in investment and faltering consumption are offsetting the momentum given by the export boom.

Forget Trump’s tariffs. The real danger lies in China’s trade surplus

China’s economic model has certainly delivered growth, but in an unbalanced way.

Laggard to poster boy? China’s big bet on Hainan

Hainan is making its first steps towards an ambitious goal of becoming a “globally influential” free trade port by 2050.

China ends 2025 with record $1.5 trillion trade surplus despite Trump tariffs

Chinese exporters aggressively sought out customers in other markets when shipments to the US on Trump tariffs.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.