China’s Politburo warns of economic risks as Communist Party readies for third plenum

“The complexity, severity and uncertainty of the external environment have spiked,” it said, according to a statement released by state news agency Xinhua. The session, also known as a plenum, traditionally sets economic strategy for the next five to 10 years and is often seen as the most important of the seven party gatherings held … Read more

Most read of 2023: Michelle Yeoh’s fashion designer, China freeing a CIA spy – your favourite long reads

From the plight of Abul Bajandar, known as “tree man”, to a look at the life of Hong Kong fashion designer Barney Cheng, a reminder of eight of the most-read long features published in the South China Morning Post’s Post Magazine in 2023. 1. More turmoil for ‘tree man’ After his story went global, Bangladeshi … Read more

Xi Jinping ‘personally’ steering China’s reform process, state media report says

State media has highlighted President Xi Jinping’s leading role in the country’s reform process, as the ruling Communist Party marks the start of China’s economic revival more than four decades ago. In a report on Sunday, official news agency Xinhua said Xi had taken the lead in the “overall design, coordination, supervision and implementation” of … Read more

Opinion | US-China thaw means Beijing can focus on development, not security

But how long will the reset last? As the systemic divisions underlying US-China relations remain unresolved, people have reason to wonder. For example, Biden stressed that both countries should manage their competition responsibly to prevent it from veering into conflict while Xi wondered aloud “are we adversaries or partners?”. Few would expect the diplomacy between … Read more