E-commerce giants jump on China’s latest trade-in programme amid heated competition

E-commerce giants jump on China’s latest trade-in programme amid heated competition

China’s major e-commerce companies, from JD.com to Alibaba Group Holding, are rushing to take advantage of Beijing’s latest subsidies aimed at spurring consumer spending at the start of the year. Tmall, Alibaba’s premium shopping site carrying mainly established brands, on Wednesday kicked off new subsidies for shoppers buying home appliances. Rival JD.com on the same … Read more

China’s security chief urges all-out efforts to ensure safe New Year and Spring Festival

China’s security chief urges all-out efforts to ensure safe New Year and Spring Festival

Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is China’s biggest annual celebration and falls on January 29 this time. Chen issued the call for stronger security measures at key venues and for major events as he toured central Hubei province last week, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. He also called for increased street patrols … Read more

Baidu posts flat second-quarter revenue as sluggish economy slowed advertising spending

Baidu posts flat second-quarter revenue as sluggish economy slowed advertising spending

Baidu’s Hong Kong-listed shares closed up 1.71 per cent to HK$86.45 on Thursday. A robotaxi, developed as part of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous driving project, seen on the road in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province. Photo: AFP Although overall revenue edged down, Baidu said in a statement on Thursday that its non-marketing operations grew … Read more

Birth rate woes hit China where schools are closing for lack of children

Birth rate woes hit China where schools are closing for lack of children

In neighbouring Hubei province, recruitment of schoolteachers has dropped one-fifth over the same period. The main reason for the fall appears to be the declining numbers of schoolchildren, as China experiences a period of “ultra-low” fertility, with fewer than 1.4 live births per woman over a lifetime. The China Population and Development Research Centre estimates … Read more

China places 15 provinces on emergency alert as deadly floods make their way north

China places 15 provinces on emergency alert as deadly floods make their way north

Suizhou had issued a red rainstorm alert, the most severe level on a four-tier warning system, and recorded up to 150mm (nearly 6 inches) of rain on the day, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The city of Xiangyang, also in Hubei, issued as many as seven red rainstorm warnings on Sunday, with water levels of 268 … Read more