After a turbulent year marked by the trade war and domestic headwinds, China will head into 2026 cautiously as it grapples with structural challenges to growth. Global investors are watching closely to see how Beijing works to shore up confidence, double down on strategic industries and mitigate overcapacity, all while navigating a fast-evolving geopolitical environment. In this explainer, the Post distils forecasts from major investment banks and economists on what to expect in 2026, also the...

Beijing has reaffirmed its tough stance on virtual currencies, warning of a resurgence in speculative trading and vowing to stamp out “illegal activities” involving stablecoins. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) held a coordination meeting on virtual currency regulation on Friday with a coalition of top regulatory and law enforcement agencies, according to a statement released by the central bank on Saturday. “Business activities related to virtual currencies constitute illegal financial...

Hong Kong’s financial identity is entering a new chapter, shaped as much by strategic alignment as capital flows. By co-launching a US$1 billion investment fund with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), the city is taking one of its most assertive steps yet to redefine Hong Kong’s financial identity in a rapidly changing global economy. The message is clear: Hong Kong intends to be a serious player in the next phase of global capital realignment. This comes as Hong Kong companies are...

During past flare-ups in diplomatic tensions between China and Japan, Chinese consumers spontaneously boycotted Japanese goods. But the latest row, sparked by controversial remarks on Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has met with a markedly different response, with almost no one in China calling for a boycott of Japanese products. Part of the reason for the turnaround is a seismic shift in China’s consumer market, with the Japanese home appliances, digital gadgets and cars once...

China’s factory activity contracted for an eighth consecutive month in November, according to official data, as external headwinds and weak domestic demand continued to drag on the world’s second-largest economy. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 49.2 in November, up from 49 a month earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday. The reading was in line with a forecast of 49.2 based on economists polled by financial data provider Wind. The monthly index...

International cultural events and relaxed visa rules are giving Shanghai’s economy an additional impetus after the financial and commercial hub of mainland China reported buoyant growth in its major hi-tech industries. The China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF), featuring 1,400 shows from operas and symphonies to ballets and musicals, generated consumption worth 4.4 billion yuan (US$620 million), up 10.2 per cent on year, according to the organisers. The month-long festival ended on...

This article was first published on November 30, 2015. By Sijia Jiang After 13 years, China’s own passenger jet enters service China’s ambition of an indigenous plane took wings on Sunday (November 29, 2015) as its first home-grown passenger jet, the Comac ARJ21 (later rebranded as the C909), entered commercial service after 13 years in the making. Configured with 90 economy-class seats, the jet was delivered to its launch customer, Chengdu Airlines, from Comac’s Shanghai factory and flown to...