China press review

Beijing’s “First-Store Economy”: What Are the New Incentives?
Beijing is optimizing its first-store economy support policies to streamline the procedures for companies that want to open their first store in the city. Financial support measures have also been clarified.

China’s retail sales, industrial data soundly beat expectations:
China reported Tuesday better-than-expected growth in retail sales, fixed asset investment and industrial production to start the year.

Chinese companies continue to increase investment in domestic chip production as Beijing keeps focus on self-sufficiency.
China’s IC sales hit 1.05 trillion yuan in 2021, up 18.2 per cent from a year earlier.

China GDP: 2022 economic growth target is within reach, ‘but it will come at a cost’: Variety of options in Beijing’s fiscal policy toolkit are expected to help insulate it from the impact of a protracted war in Ukraine, but analysts flag risks of overreaching.

Two sessions 2022: 5 Chinese tech leaders weigh in: Founders of leading Chinese tech companies present policy proposals to China’s Two Sessions in 2022. 

China inflation slowed in February as food prices eased: data
China’s factory-gate inflation eased to its slowest pace in eight months in February as consumer price growth also softened, data showed Wednesday, after new coronavirus curbs and a drop in food prices.  

Gender equality at work: how do Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and others compare?
Around the world, the proportion of women in the workforce is lower than for men. Parental leave, pay and protections against harassment also give an idea of progress.

China sets lowest growth target in 30 years as Ukraine fallout looms: China unveiled a growth target of about 5.5 per cent, its lowest in three decades, as Beijing seeks to buttress its economy after a sharp loss of momentum in 2021 and fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Ukraine outcry and Covid chaos overshadow Xi’s celebrations: Just a few weeks ago it seemed that the last Chinese parliamentary session of President Xi Jinping’s second term in office would be a congratulatory affair, where his administration could brag about the success of its Covid containment policies while focusing on efforts to shore up an economy hit by its worst property downturn in years.  

China Two Sessions 2022 – What to Watch: The annual meetings of two of China’s top political bodies will commence this weekend.

Four Questions Regarding the Chinese Economy:
China’s economy decelerated sharply toward the end of 2021 and at the start of the new year it was growing at about 4 percent.

China’s 2021 GDP surpasses 114 trillion yuan: NBS (about $18.1 trillion) in 2021, registering an increase of 8.1 percent over the previous year.

China’s trade with Russia won’t be enough to offset sanctions, U.S. says.
In the hours after Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S., U.K. and European Union announced new sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow from the global economy.

Biggest Consumer Trends for China in 2022 and the Foreseeable Future:
We look at some of the prominent consumer trends in China and spending patterns among its mid-to high-income groups and highlight sectors with potential for consumption growth.

New Relief Measures for Service Industry and Small Businesses in China in 2022:
ranging from tax exemptions to monetary support from financial institutions.

Chinese feel imported inflation pressure, from coffee to crude to cosmetics
Price hikes at major coffee chains such as Starbucks and Luckin set off a social media firestorm, illustrating public gripes over inflation as Chinese consumers see own wages fall.

New China Guidelines Promote Transfer of Manufacturing to Inland Regions:
China’s manufacturing sector is set to move from the developed east coast to the country’s inland regions.

China’s industrial subsidies: what are they and why are they a source of tension with the West?
Subsidies are widely used by different levels of government in China to aid economic development, but they are a long-standing source of tension with the West.

How NPC policymakers can restore confidence in China’s economy and markets: Current stimulus measures are insufficient to boost long-term loans and investment in the real economy amid low private-sector confidence.

Will China’s latest monetary policy easing reinvigorate the economy? Markets remain wary

China’s Foreign Investment Information Reporting System: How Does it Work?
Foreign investors and foreign invested enterprises in China are subject to foreign investment information reporting obligations under the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020.

China, Belgium to continue expanding mutual openness: Belgium and China celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2021.

Slower growth and higher inflation are the hallmarks of a post-Covid world: A hot spurt for global growth is generating breathless headlines. India is on pace to be “the world’s fastest growing large economy” and France is posting its “strongest growth in 52 years”.

China’s social credit score – untangling myth from reality: The idea that China gives every citizen a “social credit score” continues to capture the horrified imagination of many.