China Economic Review

China’s marriage registrations fell 7.5% year on year in the first half of 2026, reports the South China Morning Post. The drop underscores the demographic challenges authorities face as they step up efforts to encourage nuptials and childbearing. About 3.28 million couples in China tied the knot between January and June, down 264,000 from the same […]

Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai ​announced on Friday ‌plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis in ​Europe under an ​expanded partnership with Uber, reports Reuters. The ⁠collaboration, dating back ​to May 2025, is ​set to expand from the existing commercial robotaxi service ​in Croatia’s capital ​Zagreb to four unnamed cities ‌in ⁠Europe, according to a company statement. No […]

China’s exports of electric trucks to other Asian countries have spiked, reports Reuters. This increase adds to a surge ​in domestic sales as higher fuel costs as a result of the Iran war accelerate regional electrification. China’s rapid adoption of e-trucks—from lighter vehicles to tractor-trailers—‌has partially shielded China’s auto market from the impact of the conflict. Now other countries […]

MSCI is adding 33 companies to its MSCI China Index, including a cluster of semiconductor-related firms and AI developer Zhipu AI, reports Caixin. The comes as it is also deleting 32 stocks including China Vanke and numerous solar companies. The latest reshuffle reflects a broader reordering of valuations in China’s capital market, with investor interest shifting […]

China’s homegrown C919 passenger jet completed its first scheduled international commercial flight on August 12, landing in Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, reports Caixin. The inaugural overseas service marks a milestone for COMAC as it works to expand the narrow-body jet’s presence abroad and build an international operating record. Air China Flight CA723 departed Beijing Capital International […]

In the fascinating and not too transparent history of modern China, Zhu Rongji, who died this week at the age of 97, played a central role and along with several others in some ways represented an alternative approach to the current direction of China’s system and its relationship with the rest of the world. That […]

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed banning the import and sale of drones made by Texas-based Anzu Robotics, citing the company’s technological ties to a restricted entity widely understood to be the Chinese drone maker DJI, reports Caixin. In a notice, the FCC proposed barring Anzu from continuing to import and sell certain drones […]

Ford Motor plans to move production of some Lincoln models from China to the US beginning in 2030, reports Reuters citing the company’s CEO, who said the move was difficult but necessary to strengthen the US auto manufacturing base. Gasoline-powered ​cars and electric vehicles imported from China are subject to hefty duties. The US tariff on the Lincoln […]

Spain’s Defence Ministry will approve state-owned Chinese carmaker SAIC’s plans to build a car factory in the Galicia region, reports Reuters. This comes despite reports of potential security risks associated ‌with the project’s proximity to a naval base. SAIC is one of a growing number of Chinese car and battery makers signing deals to set up plants in Spain, in […]

Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) has broken into the world’s top three NAND flash memory suppliers by volume for the first time, reports the South China Morning Post. The move marks a milestone for China’s semiconductor ambitions as it strives to narrow the revenue gap with global rivals in high-value data-centre storage. The Wuhan-based chipmaker captured […]

China’s former Premier, Zhu Rongji has died at the age of 97, reports the South China Morning Post. He shook up the centrally planned economy, overhauled the state-owned business sector, fought corruption, revamped the tax system and secured China’s entry to the World Trade Organization–changes that some economists say brought about a historic transformation in China’s economic […]

The US is considering a ban on the import and sale of drones made by Texas-based Anzu Robotics, stating that the company has technological ties to a restricted entity, which is understood to be China’s DJI. If the move goes ahead, this will see an extension of Washington’s ban on foreign drone technology, and would […]

Commodity markets rose over the past week, but the strongest moves reflected supply risks and geopolitics rather than a convincing increase in Chinese demand. Oil rebounded sharply as hopes faded for a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while the prices of China’s steelmaking raw materials were supported by coal shortages and potential disruption to […]

Beijing has further loosened home-buying restrictions, offering one of the clearest signs this week that Chinese authorities are still struggling to turn policy support into a lasting recovery in housing demand. From August 8, non-Beijing residents have been allowed to buy homes anywhere in the capital after paying local tax or social insurance for just […]

Prototypes of China’s next-generation CR450 bullet train have completed a 600,000-kilometer operational test, reports Caixin. The move brings the world’s fastest train a step closer to commercial service. Two prototypes—the CR450AF and CR450BF manufactured by CRRC—have completed the 600,000-kilometer operational test, a local railway bureau official told Caixin. On August 5, state-owned operator China State Railway […]

Apple testing CXMT memory chips for iPhones and MacBooks Apple has been testing ​memory chips from China’s CXMT across ‌product lines including iPhones and MacBooks, reports the Wall Street Journal. The move seeks to mitigate a component shortage fueled by ​the AI boom. Apple held ⁠early talks with CXMT, which ​is China’s largest chipmaker by market ​value, […]

Beijing has introduced a new policy package to relax home-buying curbs in a bid to stabilize its property market and unleash pent-up demand, reports Caixin. Under the revised rules, the required period for social insurance or individual income tax payment records in Beijing for non-local families to buy homes within the Fifth Ring Road—a major highway […]

Alibaba has launched an open platform for its AI model Qwen, allowing third-party developers to build custom AI agents across mobile phones, personal computers and smart glasses, reports Caixin. The first group of partners on the Qianwen Open Platform spans more than 10 sectors, including logistics, real estate and wealth management. Participants include SF Express, home-rental […]

Deutsche Bank said on Monday it had been named by China as a clearing ​bank for its currency, the renminbi, in a ‌first for a European lender, reports Reuters. “Deutsche Bank will facilitate direct end-to-end processing, clearing and settlement services for cross-border RMB transactions for European financial institutions and businesses, acting as a local bridge to […]

China has completed operation tests of a prototype next-generation high-speed train, which officials say can travel at 400kph, 50kph faster than the current fastest model, and 100kph faster than the regular high-speed rail services. For many countries around the world, air travel is the dominant mode of transport for medium-length travel. Countries such as Japan, […]