China
Deflation and tariff-hit China sets lowest growth target on record at 4.5% to 5%
Xi Jinping, China’s president, center, attends the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images China on Thursday set its GDP growth target for 2026 at 4.5% to 5% — the lowest […]
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China to reportedly boost defense spending by 7%, slowest pace since 2021
Key Points China reportedly plans to raise defense spending by 7% this year, the slowest increase since 2021. China kicks off an 8-day parliamentary meeting Thursday. Beijing ranks second to the U.S. in military spending. Source
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CNBC’s China Connection newsletter: New AI players think global from day one
This report is from this week’s CNBC’s The China Connection newsletter, which brings you insights and analysis on what’s driving the world’s second-largest economy. You can subscribe here. The big story Nvidia’s latest warning is that Chinese rivals are going to disrupt the world. It’s not just in chips. More often than not, the chatter among […]
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China’s factory activity slumps more than expected in February as holiday disrupts production
A cargo ship is parked at a berth loading and unloading containers at the Lianyungang Port Container Terminal in Jiangsu Province, China on March 1, 2026. Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s factory activity faltered in February as manufacturers paused production and cargo shipment to celebrate an extended holiday, an official survey showed […]
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China is set to kick off its big policy meeting. What will be the key announcements?
Key Points Beijing is expected to set GDP growth target at around 4.5% to 5% this year, inflation target unchanged at 2%, budget deficit of 4%. The world’s second-largest economy faces persistent challenges at home amid a consumption downturn and prolonged real estate slump. Source
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Middle East war sends natural gas prices soaring, raising growth shock risk for Europe and Asia
A prolonged surge in natural gas prices triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East risks denting European growth and hitting some Asian economies hard, analysts have warned. Global gas prices have soared this week amid fears of a lengthy disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route […]
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Why Iran should not count on allies Russia and China to come to its aid
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) welcomes Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov (L) and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 14, 2025. – | Afp | Getty Images As U.S. and Israeli strikes entered their third day, […]
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Khamenei’s death raises questions about Trump’s China trip
Key Points U.S. strikes on Iran raised doubts about Trump’s planned visit to China. Prediction markets showed increased bets on a greater likelihood of a delayed Trump trip. Analysts said trade talks may outweigh geopolitical tensions for both sides. Source
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Forget DeepSeek. China’s already released 5 new AI models and UBS prefers this one
As speculation over a new version of the DeepSeek AI model grows, several other Chinese tech companies have released their own generative artificial intelligence models in the past few weeks. They range from Alibaba’s Qwen 3.5 to ByteDance’s video-generating Seedance 2.0. But what’s caught the eye of AI users — and UBS stock analysts — […]
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Iran may ‘lash out harder’ as Khamenei’s death puts Tehran on a war footing, leaving the world bracing for what’s next
TOPSHOT – A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) Afp | Getty Images The escalating conflict in the Middle East is fueling fears that Washington’s pursuit of regime change in Iran, and Tehran’s retaliation, could destabilize regions from the Gulf to […]
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