Category: China Business & Economy

Chinese Regime Launches Investigation Into Taiwan’s Trade Barriers, to End Day Before Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election

China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced that it will launch a trade barrier investigation on Taiwan, while Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominated party chairman Lai Ching-teh (William Lai) as their 2024 presidential candidate. But independent observers have pointed out that the probe is politically motivated and that China’s ruling communist party (CCP) intends to…


Brazil’s Lula, China’s Xi Solidify Anti-West Bloc Aimed at Displacing US

Amidst the buzz surrounding Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s China visit that began on April 12, the leaders of both countries have signed more than 20 new bilateral agreements. On the surface, the trip was a run-of-the-mill diplomatic visit. However, some say it underscores an ongoing deprioritization of relations with the United States. China…


China Funds Overseas Trips to ‘Grab New Orders,’ Washington Calls Out Beijing for Disrupting Markets

Local governments in China are aggressively funding delegations to drum up business overseas. Large groups including Chinese city and business officials have made hundreds of trips abroad since early December in search of foreign investment. Meanwhile, a recent U.S. trade report called out Beijing for continuing to give Chinese companies an unfair advantage and says Washington…


China’s ‘M&A King’ Bao Fan Vanished, Rocking Country’s Financial Sector

China’s “M&A King” Bao Fan has been missing for over 50 days, sending shockwaves throughout the country’s financial and political circles. On April 3, China Renaissance Group, the company Bao founded, announced a trading halt, suspending trading from 9:00 am that day. The release of its annual performance report for 2022 has also been deferred…


China Using ‘Checkbook Diplomacy’ in Latin America to Alienate Taiwan as Invasion Threat Rises: Analysts

The list of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Latin America continues to shrink as China tightens its grip on the region. Though beyond trade maneuvers, some analysts believe China’s isolation of Taiwan in the region also aims to secure favorable “votes” before taking aggressive action against the island nation. The assessment couldn’t be more timely. On…


Young Chinese Reserve Burial Plots in Advance as Graves Cost More Than High-End Property

China’s cemetery real estate industry has become more lucrative than its residential property market. The phenomenon has led many young people to preorder burial plots to cope with the soaring prices. Due to the high demand for burial plots, the price per square meter of some plots in Shanghai is already much higher than residential…


Tesla’s Dependency on China ‘Very Concerning’: US House Committee Chair

Tesla’s announcement to build a megapack factory in Shanghai has prompted questions about the American electric carmaker’s dependency on China, and a U.S. representative finds it “very concerning.” “Tesla seems entirely dependent, A, on the largesse of the federal government via tax breaks, and B, upon access to the Chinese market,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.)…


Shanghai’s Commercial Attractiveness Wanes as a Population Crisis Emerges

News Analysis Shanghai, the once prosperous commercial capital of China, is no longer the county’s top industrial city, according to the latest statistics. Meanwhile, the city lost at least a quarter million migrant workers amid the implementation of its draconian COVID-induced policies, local authorities say. As the most populous metropolis in China, Shanghai was an…


Tesla to Build Shanghai Factory to Make Megapack Batteries

SHANGHAI—Tesla Inc. is opening a factory in Shanghai, capable of producing ten thousand Megapack energy product per year, to supplement output of Megapack factory in California, the company said in a tweet on Sunday. The news was first reported by the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua. Elon Musk’s automaker will break ground on the plant…


From Largest Surplus to Largest Deficit, South Korea’s Economy Weighed Down by China

News Analysis South Korea, heavily dependent on exports to China, has seen its exports deteriorate further due to China’s economic downturn. Exports to China, once Korea’s largest trade surplus, have turned into its largest deficit since 2023. According to statistics released by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) in late March, South Korea’s trade balance…