Day: November 8, 2025

China’s consumer prices returned to growth in October – though the near-zero figure still pointed to persistent deflationary pressures amid weak domestic demand and trade uncertainties – while factory-gate prices continued to fall. Advertisement The national consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, rose 0.2 per cent year on year last month, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Sunday. The reading beat market expectations after a poll by financial provider Wind forecast a 0.04 per cent drop. In September, the CPI was down…

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek made a rare appearance at a state-backed industry event on Friday as a senior researcher reaffirmed the AI lab’s commitment to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) despite its potentially “dangerous” impacts on society. Advertisement Chen Deli spoke during a panel discussion alongside the heads of five other companies collectively known as China’s “six little dragons” of AI at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, eastern Zhejiang province. It marked the second time in recent months that the low-profile Hangzhou start-up had sent a representative to…

A recent furore over the future of a popular independent bookstore has shone a fresh spotlight on concerns that the space for public debates and cultural events in China is shrinking. Advertisement The announcement that the You Xing Bookstore in Chengdu – a venue that had hosted a number of events featuring prominent Chinese and foreign speakers – would shut later this month followed the closure of a number of other bookshops as well as cancelled cultural events and film screenings across the country. Although the bookstore now appears to…

Yadea – the world’s leading electric two-wheeler brand for eight consecutive years – runs a plant in its home base of Wuxi, in east China’s Jiangsu province, where a single assembly line can produce 1,300 electric bicycles and scooters a day, offering visitors a glimpse of the country’s manufacturing prowess. Advertisement As of last year, Hong Kong-listed Yadea had sold over 100 million electric two-wheelers in more than 100 countries. It exemplifies how Chinese manufacturers are leveraging automation to streamline and speed up once labour-intensive assembly processes – a strategy…

World-renowned astrophysicist Zhang Bing has joined the University of Hong Kong as a chair professor after nearly three decades in the United States. Advertisement Zhang left the University of Nevada, Las Vegas – where he was a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy – to become the founding director of the newly established Hong Kong Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (HKIAA) at HKU. He said his role in Hong Kong was full-time, but he would continue supervising his PhD students in the US until they completed their studies. After the…

In the central Chinese province of Hubei, one small city is going the extra mile to reverse falling birth rates. Advertisement Grass-roots volunteers in Tianmen are playing matchmaker for its young singles, combing through the details of all unmarried people in the area, putting the information on community posters and offering their services, according to Guangzhou-based Southern Weekend. Video footage posted on social media showed a swearing-in ceremony for the matchmakers in one village. It is one of a series of eye-catching measures adopted by the city, which is claiming…

The European Commission claimed on Saturday that it has reached an agreement with China’s commerce ministry to restart the flow of semiconductors that had been disrupted by a crisis surrounding the company Nexperia. Advertisement EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on social media that, effective immediately, exports of the company’s chips to the bloc for non-military uses will not be subject to Chinese licensing requirements. “My team and I have been in constant contact with the Chinese authorities, and welcome the confirmation provided today to the European Commission by Mofcom…

President Xi Jinping has given the southern province of Guangdong the task of strengthening technology, infrastructure and regulatory cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau to advance the Greater Bay Area scheme. Advertisement “Developing the Greater Bay Area is both a major responsibility and a rare development opportunity for Guangdong,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as telling senior Guangdong officials on Saturday. “Guangdong should make great effort to deepen cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau in areas such as technological innovation and cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, market regulation alignment, strengthening cooperation…

The launch of the Fujian, China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, has been cause for celebration in Chinese media, with mainland analysts hailing it as superior to its US counterparts and a force for projecting power further into the western Pacific. Advertisement But overseas analysts have been more tempered, suggesting that there is still a big gap between the naval force of the People’s Liberation Army and the United States in terms of the number of carriers, combat systems, personnel proficiency and operational experience. In an event overseen by…