Economy
The measured scale of China’s mortgage interest subsidy underscores a reluctance to aggressively stimulate the property market. So should policymakers shift their focus from investment towards consumption instead? Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong gives her take.
Han Yong Hong
02 Oct 2026
Economy
Hong Kong’s capital hub moment: Can it fuel broader economic growth?
Hong Kong is back at the centre of Asian capital formation, with Chinese tech firms’ IPO boom, record Stock and Bond Connect flows, and a more flexible listing regime. But the real test is if the capital hub’s growth momentum can be sustained beyond a few trending themes, says EAI senior research fellow Yu Hong.
Yu Hong
01 Oct 2026
Economy
The RMB’s offshore revival is real — so are its limits
The RMB has become more useful for trade, treasury management and selected funding transactions within China’s commercial orbit, but this does not mean that it has become a currency that central banks or global investors choose to hold at scale, observes EAI visiting senior research fellow Jason Bedford.
Jason Bedford
01 Oct 2026
Economy
The road north: From Cambodia’s farms to China
Existing infrastructure is converging into an emerging Cambodia-Laos-China agricultural corridor, bringing farmers into regional trade, observes researcher David Okoronkwo, after weeks of field study in Kratie, northeastern Cambodia.
David Okoronkwo
30 Sep 2026
Economy
[Big read] Big Pharma bets billions on China biotech — will Washington pull the plug?
Western drugmakers are pouring billions into China’s fast-growing biotech sector, but the US’s push to scrutinise outbound investment could put one of the few thriving areas of US-China cooperation at risk. Lianhe Zaobao’s senior foreign correspondent Pang Kia Nian finds out more.
Pang Kia Nian
25 Sep 2026
Economy
Why Luckin Coffee struggles to cross the Taiwan Strait
Mainland Chinese brand Luckin Coffee’s attempted entry into Taiwan has become entangled in questions over mainland investment, its proposed local agency arrangement and even national security. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lai Oi Lai finds out more.
Lai Oi Lai
21 Sep 2026
Economy
[Big read] As Asia’s food delivery giants rejig the pie, who will win the market?
Asia-Pacific’s food delivery ecosystem is shifting as Delivery Hero retreats and giants like Grab and Meituan fight for the market. Lianhe Zaobao business journalist Thomas Li Tao speaks with market insiders to find out more.
Thomas Li Tao
17 Sep 2026
Economy
Can China burn away Indonesia’s waste crisis?
Indonesia awarded 11 waste-to-energy (WtE) projects in under a year. It should not come at a surprise that Chinese firms won most of them, and are also making inroads in other Southeast Asian capitals. But WtE comes with tradeoffs, say researchers Kevin Zongzhe Li and Genevieve Donnellon-May.
Kevin Zongzhe Li, Genevieve Donnellon-May
15 Sep 2026
Economy
[Big read] Can new industries lure talent back to China’s rust belt?
The affordable and idyllic life in Liaoning, Shenyang and Heilongjiang are drawing young professionals back home, but some are torn by the low wages, scarce job opportunities and an economy struggling to transform. Lianhe Zaobao associate China news editor Sim Tze Wei speaks with these returnees.
Sim Tze Wei
15 Sep 2026
Economy
Can Southeast Asia survive Pinduoduo’s price onslaught?
Competing with Chinese e-commerce giants on price is a losing battle for Southeast Asia. Entrepreneur Simon Lim proposes a new model that leverages global supply chains, distributed local retail networks and AI to help it gain the strategic edge.
Simon Lim
11 Sep 2026
Economy
As gold goes digital, Hong Kong vies for London’s crown
As geopolitical shifts challenge London’s dominance of physical bullion, tokenised gold is reshaping how the commodity is stored, traded and used — with Hong Kong moving fast to capture the next phase of the market.
Caixin Global
11 Sep 2026
Economy
[Big read] Is Singapore the ultimate ‘China+1’ biopharma hub?
China’s biotech industry is becoming a formidable force in drug R&D and manufacturing. For Singapore, its rise brings new competition — but also an opportunity to strengthen its role as a trusted China+1 hub for global pharma. Lianhe Zaobao senior business correspondent Lewis Ong Yong Huat speaks with industry players and government officials to find out more.
Lewis Ong Yong Huat
09 Sep 2026
