Day: October 14, 2025

China’s consumer prices fall as deflationary pressures persist

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s economy remained mired in deflation last month, official data showed on Wednesday, highlighting the challenge for policymakers eager to boost domestic demand as trade tensions escalate with the US. The producer price index, which measures factory gate prices and has been negative for three straight years, last month declined 2.3 per cent year-on-year, compared with a 2.9 per cent drop in August. China’s consumer price index fell 0.3 per…

China’s consumer prices fall as deflation fears loom

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Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese economy myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s economy remained mired in deflation last month, official data showed on Wednesday, highlighting the challenge for policymakers eager to boost domestic demand as trade tensions escalate with the US. Consumer prices fell 0.3 per cent year-on-year in September, marginally lower than anticipated by economists forecast in a Reuters poll. This follows a 0.4 per cent drop in August. The figures have been positive for only two months of this…

Heated US-China trade war could put fire in Beijing’s belly: scholars

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With trade tensions between China and the United States reignited less than two weeks before a major political gathering in Beijing, Chinese scholars said the flare-up could provide a common cause for the country to rally behind as policymakers take steps to protect technological development and national security. Advertisement “Pressure, whether from internal or external sources, has the potential to foster unity,” said Yang Jianwen, a senior economic researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. “This is our national character: external pressure can be transformed into motivation.” Tensions between…

India bets on Diwali tax cuts to light up consumer spending

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Within days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cuts to India’s goods and services taxes coming into effect, Udit Thakkar and his fiancée went hunting for bargains in car showrooms in Mumbai. “We thought this would be a good time to go for a new car . . . we will get a good benefit in taxation,” said the 27-year-old, who expects to save Rs150,000 ($1,688) on a vehicle costing about Rs2mn thanks to the latest tax cuts. Shoppers have long been lured by discounts during colourful celebrations in the run-up to the annual Diwali…

Chinese economic data shows fight against deflationary pressures not yet won

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China’s consumer prices fell again in September as demand remained weak in the world’s second-largest economy, while a slight narrowing of the fall in factory-gate prices gave a hint that Beijing’s efforts to curb involution – cutthroat intra-industry competition that pushes prices lower – could be making ground. Advertisement The national consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, fell 0.3 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. The fall was bigger than the market had expected,…

Inside the mystery of the collapsed Chinese spy trial – podcast

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It had all the makings of a pulpy political thriller. For years, British intelligence had been warning about the growing threat of Chinese influence, from political interference to suspected espionage. Then in 2023, two young British men – a parliamentary researcher and a teacher in China – were arrested and accused of spying for China. The headlines were dramatic. But days before the trial was due to begin, the entire case collapsed. Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, was shocked. “I was absolutely gobsmacked,” he tells Nosheen Iqbal.…

Xi directs quashing of Chinese feminists even as he praises advances at women’s conference

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Addressing dignitaries gathered in Beijing on Monday, Xi Jinping praised the “historic achievements” of women’s rights in China. In the past 30 years, the Chinese president said, maternal mortality rates had dropped by nearly 80%, and women were now participating in the project of national governance with “unprecedented confidence and vigour”. Xi was speaking at the global women’s summit, an event on Monday and Tuesday to mark the 30th anniversary of the historic UN’s world conference on women, which took place in Beijing. It was there in 1995 that Hillary…

China urges calm as deadly Pakistan-Afghanistan border clashes risk spillover

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Beijing has called for de-escalation following the deadliest border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan since 2021, saying it is “deeply concerned” about the hostilities. Advertisement Analysts suggested the conflict remained manageable but warned that flaring tensions could jeopardise regional stability. “China sincerely hopes that both countries will prioritise the bigger picture, exercise calm and restraint, and resolve their concerns through dialogue and consultation to avoid further conflict,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday. He added that China was ready to “continue playing a constructive role” in improving bilateral…

China’s EV boom has the EU setting up roadblocks. Can cooperation clear the way?

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This year marks half a century of formal diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, as well as the 25th anniversary of the founding of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. The latest story in our series examining ties between the two powers focuses on intensified competition in the auto industry, a bedrock sector for Europe and an area where China has made enormous strides, particularly in electric vehicles and other hi-tech advancements. Advertisement When Volkswagen engineers arrived at the facilities of Chinese carmaker First Automobile Works’…

FirstFT: Scott Bessent accuses China of trying to hurt world’s economy

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This article is an on-site version of our FirstFT newsletter. Subscribers can sign up to our Asia, Europe/Africa or Americas edition to get the newsletter delivered every weekday morning. Explore all of our newsletters here Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. In today’s newsletter: Bessent on Beijing’s export controls Israel imposes new limits on Gaza aid Bumper earnings for Wall Street banks Why aren’t Chinese collectors paying for their art? We start in the US, where Scott Bessent has accused China of trying to hurt the global economy…