Economy

People walk through an underpass in Beijing on 22 March 2023. (Wang Zhao/AFP)

Will China's economy suffer a 'lost decade' just like Japan?

Pondering the possibility that China’s economy is going the way of Japan's 30 years ago, Japanese researcher Toshiya Tsugami analyses some similarities and differences between the two trajectories.
An electronic board shows stock indexes at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China, 21 March 2023. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Why Shanghai's still a wonderland for international investors

Chinese academic Chen Bo explains Shanghai’s continued allure for international investors, despite the economic impact of last year’s pandemic restrictions and lockdowns.
Container ships at the Port of Oakland on 8 March 2023 in Oakland, California. (Justin Sullivan/AFP)

How US is continuing to restructure globalisation and the global trade system

Commentator Jin Jian Guo assesses that the global trade situation has undergone structural changes, in terms of China gradually losing its status as the world’s factory, amid competition from India and other countries in Southeast Asia. One major reason is the US’s actions in pursuing regional and bilateral free trade agreements that excludes China and have limited China’s trade scope.
A general view of the rush hour traffic in Taipei, Taiwan, 17 January 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Taiwan's economy is breaking away from China's

Heritage Foundation researcher Min-Hua Chiang observes that China is fast losing its grip on its economic coercion strategy vis-à-vis Taiwan. With supply chains regrouping after a period of US-China trade war and geopolitical tensions, Taiwan has found greater support in its efforts to delink cross-strait issues with its economic survival.
Job seekers at a job fair in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China, 15 March 2023. (CNS)

Solving China’s soaring youth unemployment

In 2023, a record of 11.58 million students in China are expected to graduate from higher education institutions. But the perennial struggle to find employment after graduation is especially dire this year. How will China's youths cope with the situation, and what measures have the Chinese government put in place to stabilise employment?
Gang leader Gao Qiqiang (starred by Zhang Songwen) in The Knockout. (Internet)

Netizens in China debate: Are Chinese entrepreneurs all bad guys?

A comment by New Oriental’s founder Michael Yu Minhong has sparked online debate on the ideals of private entrepreneurs in China. However, amid the commotion, Yu actually has sound advice for the business community in navigating through tough times.
Commuters at a subway station in Beijing, China, on 6 March 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

China cutting financial regulators' pay in push for common prosperity

One highlight of the recent report from China’s Two Sessions is the proposed reforms to the financial regulatory system. Among the changes is to place regulators under the civil service system, which would mean salary cuts of 50% or more, along with stricter regulations on staff resignations. Will China's reforms for common prosperity work?
A worker walks near an evaporation pool where lithium bicarbonate is isolated from salt brine during the process of lithium production at the Uyuni Salt Flats in Uyuni, Bolivia, on 29 January 2014. (Noah Friedman-Rudovsky/Bloomberg)

The world’s EV supply chain is fracturing

Until now, China has held a dominant position in the global industrial chain from cathode materials to EV battery manufacturing and vehicle production, supplying nearly half of global core products. But with a major restructuring underway, it will have to tackle rising costs, supply chain shortfalls and the need to tailor resources for different markets.
People wait for a bus in the central business district during rush hour in Beijing on 7 March 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP)

Can China rally private enterprises and boost domestic demand?

China’s top officials have set out the target for the country’s economic growth and drivers for 2023, but the real work is just beginning. To meet economic growth targets and ensure economic recovery, it seems that the basic idea is to boost domestic demand and support the private sector.