Nationwide consumer spending per person grew about 5% last year, according to official statistics, but dozens of third- and fourth-tier cities grew significantly faster than that rate, according to a survey of official data by The Paper. By contrast, first-tier cities saw lower growth rates, with Shanghai recording a 0.4% increase.
fredag 25. april 2025
Small City, Big Spenders: The Rise of China’s New Consumer Class
China has around 700 cities, unofficially classified into multiple “tiers,” arranged in a pyramid structure based on their population and economic size. A few megacities, like 25 million-strong Shanghai, sit in the first tier, while most provincial capitals are classed as second-tier. Li’s home city of Yongkang is often placed in the fourth tier along with hundreds of others.
Nationwide consumer spending per person grew about 5% last year, according to official statistics, but dozens of third- and fourth-tier cities grew significantly faster than that rate, according to a survey of official data by The Paper. By contrast, first-tier cities saw lower growth rates, with Shanghai recording a 0.4% increase.
Nationwide consumer spending per person grew about 5% last year, according to official statistics, but dozens of third- and fourth-tier cities grew significantly faster than that rate, according to a survey of official data by The Paper. By contrast, first-tier cities saw lower growth rates, with Shanghai recording a 0.4% increase.
Hong Kong’s oldest pro-democracy party is shutting down as Beijing leaves no room for dissent
Hong Kong’s oldest and largest pro-democracy political party is moving to disband as Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on the city leaves even moderate opposition groups with no room to operate. The Democratic Party, one of the leading voices of opposition in the semi-autonomous city for the past three decades, has started the process of dissolution following recent warnings from Chinese government officials, two of its veteran members told CNN.
“The message was that the party has to be disbanded or there will be consequences,” said one of them, Yeung Sum, a former Democratic Party chairman. Fred Li, a former lawmaker, said a Chinese official told him that the party should not remain until the end of this year, when an election will be held.
“The message was that the party has to be disbanded or there will be consequences,” said one of them, Yeung Sum, a former Democratic Party chairman. Fred Li, a former lawmaker, said a Chinese official told him that the party should not remain until the end of this year, when an election will be held.
China has halted rare earth exports, can Australia step up?
Australia's prime minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to invest A$1.2bn (£580m) in a strategic reserve for critical minerals if he wins next month's election, as trade tensions escalate. The announcement came after China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, essential to the production of advanced technologies - including electric vehicles, fighter jets, and robots.
China's controls apply to all countries but were widely seen as retaliation to US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Albanese said Australia would prioritise minerals that are key to its security, and that of its partners, including rare earths. But could his plan challenge China's dominance?
China's controls apply to all countries but were widely seen as retaliation to US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Albanese said Australia would prioritise minerals that are key to its security, and that of its partners, including rare earths. But could his plan challenge China's dominance?
Can India really stop river water from flowing into Pakistan?
Will India be able to stop the Indus river and two of its tributaries from flowing into Pakistan? That's the question on many minds, after India suspended a major treaty governing water sharing of six rivers in the Indus basin between the two countries, following Tuesday's horrific attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) survived two wars between the nuclear rivals and was seen as an example of trans-boundary water management. The suspension is among several steps India has taken against Pakistan, accusing it of backing cross-border terrorism - a charge Islamabad flatly denies. It has also hit back with reciprocal measures against Delhi, and said stopping water flow "will be considered as an Act of War".
The treaty allocated the three eastern rivers – the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – of the Indus basin to India, while 80% of the three western ones – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – to Pakistan.
The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) survived two wars between the nuclear rivals and was seen as an example of trans-boundary water management. The suspension is among several steps India has taken against Pakistan, accusing it of backing cross-border terrorism - a charge Islamabad flatly denies. It has also hit back with reciprocal measures against Delhi, and said stopping water flow "will be considered as an Act of War".
The treaty allocated the three eastern rivers – the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – of the Indus basin to India, while 80% of the three western ones – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – to Pakistan.
Deadly Kashmir attack risks India military escalation against Pakistan
Tuesday's bloodshed in Pahalgam - where at least 26 tourists were killed in a hail of gunfire - marks the deadliest militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019. The victims weren't soldiers or officials, but civilians on holiday in one of India's most picturesque valleys. That alone makes this strike both brutal and symbolic: a calculated assault not just on lives, but on a fragile sense of normalcy the Indian state has worked hard to project in the disputed region.
Given the fraught history of Kashmir - claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but ruled by each only in part - India's response is likely to be shaped as much by precedent as by pressure, say experts. For starters, Delhi has swiftly taken a series of retaliatory steps: closing the main border crossing, suspending a critical water-sharing treaty, and expelling diplomats.
More significantly, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has vowed a "strong response," pledging action not just against the perpetrators but also the masterminds behind the "nefarious acts" on Indian soil.
Read more
Given the fraught history of Kashmir - claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but ruled by each only in part - India's response is likely to be shaped as much by precedent as by pressure, say experts. For starters, Delhi has swiftly taken a series of retaliatory steps: closing the main border crossing, suspending a critical water-sharing treaty, and expelling diplomats.
More significantly, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has vowed a "strong response," pledging action not just against the perpetrators but also the masterminds behind the "nefarious acts" on Indian soil.
Read more
Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists
Pakistan has responded with tit-for-tat measures against India as tensions soared following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad suspended all visas issued to Indian nationals under an exemption scheme with immediate effect, as well as expelling some of its neighbour's diplomats and closing its airspace to Indian flights.
Indian police have named three of four suspected gunmen behind the attack, saying two are Pakistani citizens and a third is a local Kashmiri man. Pakistan denies Indian claims that it played a role in the shooting. Tuesday's attack saw a group of gunmen fire on tourists near Pahalgam, a resort in the disputed Himalayan region.
Indian police have named three of four suspected gunmen behind the attack, saying two are Pakistani citizens and a third is a local Kashmiri man. Pakistan denies Indian claims that it played a role in the shooting. Tuesday's attack saw a group of gunmen fire on tourists near Pahalgam, a resort in the disputed Himalayan region.
onsdag 23. april 2025
Behind China’s Growth Numbers, a Nation Still Saving
When Li Rui was earning 30,000 yuan ($4,000) a month from part-time jobs, he burned through most of it on gadgets, takeout, and nights out. Now, as a full-time Ph.D. student in Beijing living on just 5,000 yuan in bursaries and scholarships, he saves more than ever. “I’m saving more than 60% of my income now,” says the 27-year-old. “Before, it was only about 20%, if that.”
China’s economy is showing signs of recovery: wages are rising, growth is steady, and stimulus is flowing. But for Li, the decision to cut back stems from a lingering sense of uncertainty, an instinct now driving millions to spend less and save more. The numbers bear it out. China’s per capita saving rate hit 34.3% in 2022 — the highest in a decade. While it has declined slightly since, the rate remains well above pre-pandemic levels. Similar spikes were seen around the world at the time, but in China, the pattern has stuck.
China’s economy is showing signs of recovery: wages are rising, growth is steady, and stimulus is flowing. But for Li, the decision to cut back stems from a lingering sense of uncertainty, an instinct now driving millions to spend less and save more. The numbers bear it out. China’s per capita saving rate hit 34.3% in 2022 — the highest in a decade. While it has declined slightly since, the rate remains well above pre-pandemic levels. Similar spikes were seen around the world at the time, but in China, the pattern has stuck.
Pope’s death receives muted official response in China, which has a tense relationship with the Vatican
As the world rushed to pay tribute to Pope Francis following his death, the response has been comparatively muted in China – an officially atheist state with millions of Catholics whose government has had a difficult and complex relationship with the Vatican.
In the passing of Pope Francis, Beijing loses a well-respected global leader who had pushed the Vatican closer to China’s Communist Party leadership than any of his predecessors. Nonetheless, Chinese state-controlled media’s coverage on his death has been terse. The Chinese government extended its condolences nearly 24 hours after the Vatican’s announcement of the pope’s death – when asked about it at a regular news conference at its foreign ministry.
In the passing of Pope Francis, Beijing loses a well-respected global leader who had pushed the Vatican closer to China’s Communist Party leadership than any of his predecessors. Nonetheless, Chinese state-controlled media’s coverage on his death has been terse. The Chinese government extended its condolences nearly 24 hours after the Vatican’s announcement of the pope’s death – when asked about it at a regular news conference at its foreign ministry.
Trade war with US triggers wave of factory ‘holidays’ in China’s export hubs
As the U.S.-China trade war heats up, businesses in major export hubs in southeastern China are announcing factory “holidays” – halting production and slashing employee wages and work hours – while turning to social commerce platforms to sell stockpiled goods, as they grapple with a sharp drop in overseas orders.
It’s a phenomenon sweeping across China’s export-driven provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, where manufacturers – weighed down by a large backlog of unsold merchandise – are issuing a flurry of “holiday notices” to announce they are suspending operations at factories. To clear large piles of inventory, companies are now resorting to selling the leftover export goods through social commerce platforms, such as TikTok and Taobao, at heavily marked-down rates.
Merchandise ranging from yoga pants and footwear to home appliances and blankets — originally intended to be exported to the U.S. — are now being sold online by Chinese export companies or their employees at bargain prices, multiple videos reviewed by RFA on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, show.
It’s a phenomenon sweeping across China’s export-driven provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, where manufacturers – weighed down by a large backlog of unsold merchandise – are issuing a flurry of “holiday notices” to announce they are suspending operations at factories. To clear large piles of inventory, companies are now resorting to selling the leftover export goods through social commerce platforms, such as TikTok and Taobao, at heavily marked-down rates.
Merchandise ranging from yoga pants and footwear to home appliances and blankets — originally intended to be exported to the U.S. — are now being sold online by Chinese export companies or their employees at bargain prices, multiple videos reviewed by RFA on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, show.
Trump now says China tariffs will come down substantially, but won’t be zero
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that recently imposed tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially,” but won’t be zero, in the latest zigzag for Washington’s stance on global trade.
The U.S. and China are waging a tit-for-tat trade battle, which threatens to stunt the global economy. The U.S. imposed tariffs of 145% on Chinese imports, prompting China to retaliate with tariffs reaching 125% on American goods. The U.S. also has imposed new tariffs on most other countries. Trump told a White House news conference that “145% is very high” and could be lowered through China-U.S. negotiations. “It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero ‒ used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride.”
The U.S. and China are waging a tit-for-tat trade battle, which threatens to stunt the global economy. The U.S. imposed tariffs of 145% on Chinese imports, prompting China to retaliate with tariffs reaching 125% on American goods. The U.S. also has imposed new tariffs on most other countries. Trump told a White House news conference that “145% is very high” and could be lowered through China-U.S. negotiations. “It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero ‒ used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride.”
'I've had 100 operations and will never stop' - inside China's cosmetic surgery boom
Abby Wu was just 14 when she had cosmetic surgery for the first time. After receiving hormone treatment for an illness, Abby's weight increased from 42kg (6 stone 8lbs) to 62kg (9 stone 11lbs) in two months. The change hadn't gone unnoticed by her drama teacher. "My teacher said, 'You were our star but now you're too fat. Either give up or lose weight fast,'" recalls Abby, who was preparing for her drama exams at the time.
Abby's mother stepped in, taking her to get liposuction to remove fat from her belly and legs. Abby remembers her mother's words as she waited in the clinic in a hospital gown, nervous about the impending operation. "Just be brave and walk in. You'll become pretty once you're out."
The surgery was traumatic. Abby was only given partial anaesthesia and remained conscious throughout.
Abby's mother stepped in, taking her to get liposuction to remove fat from her belly and legs. Abby remembers her mother's words as she waited in the clinic in a hospital gown, nervous about the impending operation. "Just be brave and walk in. You'll become pretty once you're out."
The surgery was traumatic. Abby was only given partial anaesthesia and remained conscious throughout.
US wants to slap tariffs as high as 3,500% on solar panels from Southeast Asia
US trade officials finalized steep tariff levels on most solar cells from Southeast Asia, a key step toward wrapping up a year-old trade case in which American manufacturers accused Chinese companies of flooding the market with unfairly cheap goods. The case was brought last year by Korea’s Hanwha Qcells, Arizona-based First Solar Inc and several smaller producers seeking to protect billions of dollars in investments in US solar manufacturing.
The petitioner group, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, accused big Chinese solar panel makers with factories in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam of shipping panels priced below their cost of production and of receiving unfair subsidies that make American goods uncompetitive.
The petitioner group, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, accused big Chinese solar panel makers with factories in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam of shipping panels priced below their cost of production and of receiving unfair subsidies that make American goods uncompetitive.
Cambodia’s controversial canal project gets boost on Xi visit
A pet project of Cambodia’s ruling Hun clan to build a canal linking the capital with the Gulf of Thailand got a boost as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rounded off a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia on Friday. The Cambodian government reported the signing Thursday of a public-private partnership contract with China worth $1.15 billion to fund Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal project. The ambitious project was launched last year but work stopped soon after groundbreaking amid questions over funding for the 151 kilometer (94 mile)-long canal that would link a branch of the Mekong River to a port on the Gulf of Thailand.
Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on Facebook that he met with Wang Tong Zhou, president of the China Communications Construction Company to discuss the construction of the canal. Senate President Hun Sen also posted that in his meeting with the Chinese president, Xi voiced support for the project.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said on Facebook that the two sides signed five agreements, including the public-private partnership contract, a shareholder agreement, an investment agreement, an engineering, procurement and construction contract, and an operation and maintenance contract.
Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on Facebook that he met with Wang Tong Zhou, president of the China Communications Construction Company to discuss the construction of the canal. Senate President Hun Sen also posted that in his meeting with the Chinese president, Xi voiced support for the project.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said on Facebook that the two sides signed five agreements, including the public-private partnership contract, a shareholder agreement, an investment agreement, an engineering, procurement and construction contract, and an operation and maintenance contract.
tirsdag 22. april 2025
"Midtens rike - En vandring i Kinas historie" er i salg - revidert og utvidet, og i ny drakt
For 16 år siden utga jeg boken "Midtens rike - En vandring i Kinas historie" (Cappelen Damm, 2009). Senere er den trykket og utgitt i flere runder, og den også oversatt til fremmede språk. Nå foreligger en ny og revidert utgave - i ny drakt. Bokens forside viser en av Kinas store keisere, Qianlong, til hest. Qianlong styrte landet i en lang periode på 1700-tallet. Bildet er malt av den italienske jesuitten Giuseppe Castiglione, som bodde i Beijing og som fikk i oppdrag å male keiseren. Forsiden er designet av Stian Hole.
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mandag 21. april 2025
Chinese artist fined for filming Uyghur folk music in Xinjiang
A Chinese artist has been fined for “illegal filming” of folk music in Xinjiang - even as China promotes state-sponsored performances of Uyghur singers and dancers in Europe that have angered Uyghur activists. The Chinese artist, Guo Zhenming, who is known for his work commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, told Radio Free Asia he was fined 75,000 yuan (US$10,300) and had all his equipment and materials confiscated over what he said was just a personal project not a film for distribution.
OPINION: RFA Uyghur Service is a light that pierces the darkness of China’s rule
When I was a Uyghur child living in communist China in the 1970s, we had no way of knowing what was happening around the world, within China, or even to our own Uyghur people in our homeland of East Turkistan (also known as Xinjiang, China). For colonized people like us, living under a total information blackout and bombarded by communist propaganda 24/7, discovering the truth was not a luxury - it was a yearning, something we sometimes risked our lives for.
I remember those days vividly. My father would gather us in the dead of night and begin tuning our old radio, searching for foreign broadcasts to find out what was happening in our homeland, where we lived. Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s strict media control and harsh punishment for those who sought outside information, this was an act of defiance.
At the time, the only source of information for the Uyghur people was propaganda in the state-run media. Yet, despite the risks, we longed to hear the truth. In our home in the capital, Urumqi, we had a microwave-sized radio with glowing tubes inside. My father would carefully fine-tune it by hand each night. Sometimes the signal was clear; other times it was full of static. But it was the only source of free news from the outside world.
I remember those days vividly. My father would gather us in the dead of night and begin tuning our old radio, searching for foreign broadcasts to find out what was happening in our homeland, where we lived. Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s strict media control and harsh punishment for those who sought outside information, this was an act of defiance.
At the time, the only source of information for the Uyghur people was propaganda in the state-run media. Yet, despite the risks, we longed to hear the truth. In our home in the capital, Urumqi, we had a microwave-sized radio with glowing tubes inside. My father would carefully fine-tune it by hand each night. Sometimes the signal was clear; other times it was full of static. But it was the only source of free news from the outside world.
Boeing jet returns to US from China, a victim of Trump’s tariff war
A Boeing jet intended for use by a Chinese airline landed back at the planemaker’s U.S. production hub on Saturday, a victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by President Donald Trump in his global trade offensive. The 737 MAX, which was meant for China’s Xiamen Airlines, landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field at 6:11 p.m., according to a Reuters witness. It was painted with Xiamen livery.
The jet, which made refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii on its 5,000-mile (8,000-km) return journey, was one of several 737 MAX jets waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center for final work and delivery to a Chinese carrier.
The jet, which made refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii on its 5,000-mile (8,000-km) return journey, was one of several 737 MAX jets waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center for final work and delivery to a Chinese carrier.
Trump this month raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. goods. A Chinese airline taking delivery of a Boeing jet could be crippled by the tariffs, given that a new 737 MAX has a market value of around $55 million, according to IBA, an aviation consultancy.
Beijing warns countries against colluding with US to restrict trade with China
Beijing has warned its trading partners against succumbing to US pressure to restrict trade with China in exchange for exemption from President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs. Commenting on recent media reports about US plans to use tariff negotiations to isolate China’s economy, a spokesperson for China’s Commerce Ministry said on Monday: “Appeasement does not bring peace, and compromise does not earn respect.”
“Seeking temporary self-interest at the expense of others — in exchange for so-called exemptions — is like asking a tiger for its skin. In the end, it will achieve nothing and harm both others and oneself,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Seeking temporary self-interest at the expense of others — in exchange for so-called exemptions — is like asking a tiger for its skin. In the end, it will achieve nothing and harm both others and oneself,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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