Business News
Latest business news and updates
Total: 749
Hong Kong’s Quiet Comeback: From ‘Finance-Only’ to a Bay‑Area Tech Partner
Hong Kong posted a stronger growth profile in 2025, driven by export demand, a services rebound and renewed capital‑market activity. Policy moves to develop a northern innovation cluster linked to Shenzhen are beginning to produce measurable results, challenging the notion that the city is solely a financial centre.
China’s Credit Surge and Low Borrowing Costs Propel a Steady Start to 2026
China opened 2026 with a notable expansion of credit and money supply: January M2 grew 9.0% year‑on‑year while social financing rose 8.2%. Government bond issuance and a significant rise in bank lending—particularly medium‑ and long‑term corporate loans—underpinned the pickup, while financing costs remained low, supporting firms and infrastructure projects.
China’s Outlet Mall Boom: How suburban ‘discount havens’ are rewiring post‑pandemic retail
Outlet malls are enjoying a post‑pandemic renaissance across China, drawing a diverse mix of middle‑aged men, suburban families and disenchanted online shoppers with open‑air design, clustered brand offerings and visible discounts. Rapid expansion by established chains and new entrants is reshaping retail geography, but the model faces risks from discount dilution, overcapacity and rising consumer scepticism about promotional authenticity.
China Forces the End of Fully Hidden Door Handles — Safety Trumps Style in EV Design
China’s GB 48001—2026 mandates mechanical redundancy for vehicle door handles and effectively bans fully power‑dependent hidden exterior handles, with staggered compliance from 2027 to 2029. The rule responds to a cluster of rescue failures and consumer complaints and will force costly redesigns across automakers and suppliers, with likely global ripple effects given China’s market size.
Gold Fever at Lunar New Year Exposes a Divide: Scale Players Grow Sales, Niche Brands Keep Margins
A post‑holiday rush of young buyers in China is boosting sales of lightweight, design‑led gold jewellery even as global bullion prices climb. Financial results show a split: large franchised chains drive revenue through scale while a handful of boutique operators extract far higher margins, but the durability of brand premiums is uncertain because resale values remain tied to metal prices.
Sudden Detention of Ex‑Tycoon Li Zhaoting Deepens Dongxu Group Fallout
Li Zhaoting, the former head of the Dongxu business empire and once among Hebei’s richest individuals, was detained by Shijiazhuang police on February 13 as investigations continue. Regulators had already imposed roughly RMB 1.7 billion in penalties and lifetime market bans related to disclosure violations and alleged fraudulent share issuance; only Jia Linjie remains listed from the Dongxu orbit and says operations are normal.
JD’s First Wide‑body Cargo Jet Signals a New Phase in China’s Air‑Freight Game
JD Airlines’ first Airbus A330-200P2F freighter — its 12th aircraft and first wide‑body — marks the company’s entry into long‑haul international cargo. The deal fast‑tracked Airbus’ foothold in China’s freighter market and underlines JD’s strategy to bind its e‑commerce supply chain to owned airlift, even as regulatory slots and empty return legs pose commercial challenges.
History’s Warning: Bitcoin Could Slide Toward $31,000 as Analysts Flag a Possible ‘Crypto Winter’
Ned Davis Research warns that if the current sell‑off becomes a full crypto winter, Bitcoin could fall to about $31,000 — a drop of roughly 55% from current levels and as much as 70–75% from its October peak. Other banks and strategists offer differing downside targets, but the central risk is that renewed selling, leverage and miner pressure could amplify losses even as greater institutional participation offers some stabilising force.
Mercedes‑Benz China Shuffles Senior Team as Sales Chief Steps Down, Smart Brand Marketing Gets a New Lead
Mercedes‑Benz China has announced a managed leadership reshuffle: Duan Jianjun will step down as president and CEO of the Beijing sales company and remain as an advisor until 30 April, Li Desi will take over on 1 March, Zhang Mingxia will move from smart’s global marketing role back into sales on 1 April, and Kang Yi will become smart’s global CMO. The moves prioritise continuity and closer alignment between sales, marketing and finance as Mercedes navigates intense competition and rapid change in China’s automotive market.
JD.com Says Paris Warehouse Theft Solved as Most Stolen Goods Recovered — A Test for Its European Expansion
JD.com says French police and the Chinese embassy helped recover most goods stolen from the company’s Paris warehouse in a December 2025 robbery. The recovery reduces immediate losses and reputational damage as JD presses ahead with a broader European expansion that includes a logistics network (JoyExpress), a new retail brand (Joybuy) and a major stake in Germany’s CECONOMY.
PICC Faces Wave of Regional Fines as Regulators Flag Widespread Compliance Failures
PICC Property and Casualty has received at least 15 regulatory penalties since the start of 2026, with regional branches fined for falsified data, misuse of policy terms, fabricated intermediary fees and refusal to accept cash. Regulators have issued fines, warnings and long-term industry bans, exposing systemic weaknesses in internal controls across the insurer’s local operations.
Safe‑haven Surge and Regulatory Tightening: Gold Rallies as Tech Slips and Beijing Reins in Platform Lending
Gold and silver surged as investors skittishly rotated away from technology stocks amid heightened geopolitical rhetoric from Washington and mixed macro signals. In China, regulators tightened rules on platform‑linked consumer lending while the central bank reported continued credit growth, underscoring Beijing’s dual focus on innovation and financial stability.