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Consumer Law & Regulation Politics & Society Takeaway Tech, Media & Telecom

No subsidies no sales

China’s smartphone market contracted in 2025, as government subsidies which were propping the sector up dissipated in the second half of the year. Global Times reported in May that the subsidies—which were rolled out in January—accounted for 50 million units sold, seeing a year-on-year increase of 25.4% for the first four months of 2025. However, Caixin reports that through […]

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Brief Politics & Society

China’s birth rate falls to lowest on record

China’s birth rate fell to its lowest on record, reports Bloomberg. This comes despite efforts to encourage childbirth and puts more pressure on the country’s economy to boost productivity and stave off long-term decline. The number of births for every thousand people dropped to 5.6 last year, the lowest since at least the founding of the People’s Republic […]

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Brief Economics & Policy Politics & Society Property

Second-hand house price continues to drop in December

Prices for existing homes in China’s four major cities continued to drop in December, reports Caixin, which says this is a sign that recovery remains elusive despite a slower pace of monthly declines. Data released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that prices of second-hand homes in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen dropped 7% […]

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Brief Politics & Society Property

Real estate agents urge home sellers to accept lower price

Real estate brokerages in China’s major cities are urging owners of existing homes to lower prices to spur sales transactions, reports Caixin. This comes amid a property market downturn which shows no signs of easing. Some of the price cuts have developed into “systematic and organized practices,” with some real estate agents even significantly lowering the […]

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Brief Economics & Policy Politics & Society

IMF raises growth forecasts for China

The International Monetary Fund has raised its 2026 economic growth forecasts for China by 0.3 percentage points to 4.5%, reports the South China Morning Post, which says this is the latest sign that the pause in their trade war has eased pressure on both economies. The IMF says its 4.5% growth forecast is supported by lower US tariff […]