As China’s political elite gather for the country’s annual legislative sessions this month, we examine the broader forces likely to influence policies for the coming year – and how decision-makers will respond to the unpredictable second term of US President Donald Trump. The second part of the series looks at the tech advancements it has…
China’s purchasing managers’ index, a key indicator for manufacturing activity, reached three-month high in February and returned to positive territory as the country ramped up measures to boost the economy. The PMI in February was 50.2 compared with 49.1 in January and 50.1 in December. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below 50…
As China’s political elite gather for the country’s annual legislative sessions in March, we examine the broader forces likely to influence policies for the coming year – and how decision-makers will respond to the unpredictable second term of US President Donald Trump. In the first part of this series, Frank Chen surveys the status of…
China has made significant progress in multiple industries under its “Made in China 2025” plan that Beijing initiated a decade ago, but the state-led initiative remains controversial on the global stage amid an escalating trade war with the US. In the latest China Future Tech webinar, South China Morning Post technology editor Zhou Xin, Political…
Date and time: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | 10.30am-11.30am HKT The live webinar will be available for all readers. Our speakers will also engage in a Q&A session. Submit your questions in advance for direct answers and valuable insights unique to this event. The “Made in China 2025” plan has been controversial since the day…
China’s state-owned industrial giants have set up nearly 100 new research hubs as part of a government initiative launched in 2022 to drive technological breakthroughs in a slew of strategic fields. The huge state-directed effort is part of a broader push by Beijing to counter Washington’s attempts to contain China’s technological progress and revitalise the…
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China and economy stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Air pollution threat as lung cancer cases in never-smokers on the rise: study Despite drops in tobacco use worldwide, the incidence of lung cancer among people who…
It is 10 years since Beijing announced an ambitious plan called Made in China 2025 to transform the country from “a low-cost manufacturing base into a high-tech superpower”. President Xi Jinping’s policy aimed for China to be world leader in a range of industries, from advanced computing to aerospace, and came with big investments in…
Since 2022, China’s economy has been haunted by a weak recovery. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth has fallen below 5 per cent for two consecutive quarters this year, posing challenges for Beijing to achieve its annual growth target of around 5 per cent. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the proportion of China’s nominal…
China has approved 113 innovative drugs since its 14th five-year plan began in 2021, according to data shared at a forum in Shanghai on the development of the domestic medicine industry. The number of approvals already marked an increase of nearly three times over the previous five-year plan, and had reached a market scale of…