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China’s export-driven economy was for decades the workshop of the world. In 2001, when China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO), it accounted for 4 per cent of the world’s exports, and by 2017, that had risen to 13 per cent. The trade war with the United States damaged China’s exports as tariffs made its goods more expensive for American buyers. The coronavirus outbreak subsequently damaged overseas demand for Chinese products, leading many analysts to predict a huge slump in exports over the second quarter of the year. Imports have become an increasingly closely watched gauge of China’s economic health, as it transitioned away from an export-driven growth model towards a more consumption-based model.
Recent moves raise hopes of greater cooperation and dialogue, and less confrontation and tit-for-tat measures that do nothing to resolve disputes.
Hyperbolic Western media see Chinese president’s absence as a snub, but by sending Premier Li Qiang instead, Beijing is emphasising what the grouping was originally about: economic collaboration and not political back-stabbing.
- China’s exports fell by 6.2 per cent, year on year, to US$299.1 billion in September, although the decline narrowed from a fall of 8.8 per cent in August
- Imports, meanwhile, also fell by 6.2 per cent last month to US$221.4 billion, narrowing from a 7.3 per cent decline in August
In opinion piece for the Post, EU’s top diplomat blames the imbalance on a lack of access to the Chinese market.
Gabriel Boric is expected to attempt to lure renewal energy investments to Chile, which is home to 48 per cent of global lithium reserves, a mineral needed for EV batteries.
Talks between Chinese customs officials and Malaysian agricultural personnel on the import of fresh durians are moving forward, with some suggesting approval could come as early as 2024.
Inquiries and possible tariffs are said to be part of an agreement with Washington, which is set to drop its Trump-era tariffs on imports of European steel and aluminium.
Taiwan’s exports rose by 3.4 per cent in September, year on year, to US$38.81 billion, data released on Wednesday showed, amid increased demand for semiconductors for generative artificial intelligence use.
Li Qiang’s inspection tour in China’s economic powerhouse features some of the strongest high-level calls for a digital transformation, with huge hardware and software upgrades in the works.
Stefan Bredohl says at celebration of his country’s links with Hong Kong that good economic relations rely on city maintaining rule of law and ‘international character’.
An investigation by mainland officials into Taiwan’s trade practices could conclude right before a pivotal election – a decision that stands to further fray already strained relations.
Chinese investors will view Malaysia as a viable production site because of its proximity to the rest of the supply chain supplying Western markets, Malaysia’s No 2 trade official said.
The home market flooded, manufacturers in China are ready to roll out their extensive offerings in the continent – the ‘last open market’.
China’s first generation of migrant workers helped build the country into an economic powerhouse. But now, as they age out of the workforce, they face a bleak future with meagre benefits – or none at all.
Experimental rice strain reaches twice as tall as ordinary strains, and its creators say it is more resistant to pests and flooding. It also grows in challenging conditions.
Qatar’s consul general in Hong Kong discusses the role that China has played in helping Qatar position itself as an ‘economic hub’ in the Persian Gulf.
Attracting capital and production from China should take priority over tariffs and other hardline measures, according to an American economist.
Three separate studies managed by three Australian administrations all came to the same conclusion: the trade relationship with China cannot be practically decoupled or diversified.
Questionable data supplied by Beijing to the International Monetary Fund leads to an inaccurate and inflated projection, according to research group founder.
At the first high-level talks between China and Germany in four years, both sides agree to update a financial cooperation agreement, but trade appears sidelined.
The slowdown in the property market is likely to blunt China’s economic growth, but will also flow downstream to surrounding countries, an Asean economic surveillance body has said.
He, a confidant of President Xi Jinping, covers a bigger footprint in the trade portfolio than his predecessor Liu He but is not responsible for tech or manufacturing.
In its World Economic Outlook, the international financial institution lays out a scenario in which a polarised world economy leads to higher prices and greater scarcity for the commodities China now imports at high volumes.
There is growing concern over the long-term costs as China’s exports continue to fall, and those in the industry face a litany of challenges.
A delegation from the US Senate will be the first congressional group to visit the Chinese capital in four years.
Readers discuss Western failure to grapple with Chinese thinking, and the profit motive behind tragedies involving buildings.
Dialogue between the two countries is recovering, with top-level commitments on the weekend, analyst says.
Wang Dongwei, China’s vice-minister of finance, tells a conference in Egypt the US and EU had weaponised the idea of national security.
Though changing circumstances have made previously reliable investment models obsolete, Taiwanese investors still see mainland China as an attractive destination for their capital.
China Eastern Airlines, the first commercial operator of the C919 narrowbody passenger jet, has flown 35,000 passengers on the model since its maiden flight in May.
