Why China is sending southern officials north to its rusting economic front lines

Why China is sending southern officials north to its rusting economic front lines

China is trying to bring new economic life to its northeastern rust belt by parachuting in cadres from the upper ranks of the central government and more prosperous parts of the country. Since the start of the year, at least a dozen senior officials from central government ministries and the powerhouse provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang … Read more

China’s pension reform a ‘milestone’, but will it fix funding woes?

China’s pension reform a ‘milestone’, but will it fix funding woes?

Beijing’s quick endorsement of a scheme to raise the retirement age shows it is determined to address the problem of dwindling pension funds amid faltering economic growth and an ageing population, analysts say. But, they add, the changes are unlikely to be a silver bullet for fiscal shortfalls and could come with “political pain”. For … Read more

China is poised to amend its anti-corruption law for the first time

China is poised to amend its anti-corruption law for the first time

China is set to amend its anti-corruption law, allowing bail for corruption suspects during investigations but also extending the detention period during which suspects are denied access to a lawyer. A draft amendment to the Supervision Law was under review by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, during its four-day … Read more

China raises retirement age by up to 5 years amid growing pressure from ageing population

China raises retirement age by up to 5 years amid growing pressure from ageing population

China has decided to raise the retirement age by up to five years as the country battles an economic slump and the growing pressure from an ageing population. The retirement age for men will rise from 60 to 63 and for female office workers from 55 to 58 as a result of the decision by … Read more

Lawmakers discuss plan to gradually lift retirement age in China

Lawmakers discuss plan to gradually lift retirement age in China

China’s top legislature has reviewed a plan to gradually raise the retirement age, months after the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee proposed it be lifted in a “voluntary and flexible” way. The retirement age has been in place since 1951 and is among the lowest in the world. It is currently 60 for men, 55 … Read more

China’s localities need ‘profound reform’ to draw investment, state newspaper says

China’s localities need ‘profound reform’ to draw investment, state newspaper says

China’s localities should reduce their dependence on land and tax incentives and instead strengthen industrial chains and improve their business environments to attract investment, a state-owned newspaper has urged in a front-page commentary. Aggressive land deals, tax breaks and subsidies – frequently used to drive investment by local governments in past decades – have led … Read more

Opinion | How Deng Xiaoping’s ‘one country, two systems’ dates back to 1957 in Tibet

Opinion | How Deng Xiaoping’s ‘one country, two systems’ dates back to 1957 in Tibet

Some 25 years before Deng Xiaoping first proposed “one country, two systems” as a creative political solution to facilitate Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau’s return to China, Mao Zedong tasked him with finding an answer to the Tibet issue. It was 1957, six years after Beijing and Lhasa signed the Seventeen-Point Agreement that confirmed Tibet … Read more

Xi Jinping speech was call to action against foreign forces ‘Westernising’ Chinese youth

Xi Jinping speech was call to action against foreign forces ‘Westernising’ Chinese youth

The Communist Party’s top theoretical journal has highlighted the threat from “subversive” “foreign forces” trying to influence China’s youth, by releasing excerpts of a speech Chinese President Xi Jinping made six years ago. In the speech to the National Education Conference in 2018, Xi accused those forces of trying to “Westernise” China’s youth and plot … Read more

Chinese cooking oil scandal prompts new safety rules for transporting products

Chinese cooking oil scandal prompts new safety rules for transporting products

China is a major consumer of vegetable oil and has a great need for oil transport, according to the draft. In 2023, the entire country consumed a total of 39 million tonnes of oil. In the wake of the scandal, the State Council, China’s cabinet, has asked for timely industry regulations, it said. The draft … Read more

Beijing to tap free-trade zones to reassure foreign investors with pro-business pledge

Beijing to tap free-trade zones to reassure foreign investors with pro-business pledge

Beijing has vowed to give more prominence to China’s free-trade zones, as well as a roll-out of pro-business measures, including trade facilitation to smoothen capital and data flow for foreign businesses. The pledge was made at a meeting of a Communist Party reform task force headed by President Xi Jinping on Thursday. “We will promote … Read more