Weekly China Recap

China is pushing forward with one of its most ambitious economic experiments yet: the Hainan Free Trade Island. Designed as a new frontier for China’s reform and opening-up, Hainan is being positioned as a high-level free trade zone with looser regulations, greater capital mobility, and deeper integration with global markets. For Beijing, this is not just a regional policy — it is a strategic test...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we take you inside one of the most symbolic events in China this year — the 15th National Games, hosted for the first time by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao together. This is more than a sports story. It’s a story about regional integration, city-cluster competition, and the future of China’s southern power engine — the Greater Bay Area (GBA). In...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we dive into one of the most important policy moves in China’s economic calendar — a sweeping 13-point action plan by the State Council aimed at reviving the vitality of the private sector. At a time when China faces a complex mix of domestic restructuring and global geopolitical pressures, this new plan sends a powerful signal: private-sector vit...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we take a closer look at the evolving rivalry between China’s two economic powerhouses — Guangdong and Jiangsu. Once separated by a wide economic gap, Jiangsu is now rapidly narrowing the distance, reflecting a deeper shift in China’s growth model — from sheer scale to quality, from speed to sustainability. What does this mean for China’s regional...

China has unveiled the blueprint for its next stage of modernization — the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide the nation’s direction from 2026 to 2030. In this episode, Xing Zheming unpacks the key messages from the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, where the country’s top leadership laid out its most important strategic roadmap in years — one...

As China approaches its 15th Five-Year Plan, a bold new action plan has emerged that could reshape the future of its most economically advanced region: the Yangtze River Delta. In this episode, I dive into the sweeping policy blueprint just released by the central government — a roadmap that outlines 30 detailed action items across 7 strategic pillars aimed at integrating Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejia...

This week on Weekly China Recap, we zoom in on a bold new move by Hong Kong to reclaim its place as China’s global launchpad: the launch of the “GoGlobal Task Force.” Backed by senior Hong Kong officials and institutions like InvestHK and the Trade Development Council, this initiative aims to make Hong Kong the premier gateway for Mainland Chinese companies expanding into Southeast Asia, the Middl...

This week, we spotlight a quiet but significant shift in China’s talent strategy: the introduction of the new K visa, aimed at attracting young, international STEM talent. What does this tell us about China’s changing immigration posture? How does it compare to the US tightening its H-1B program? And what signals does it send to the world about China’s innovation ambition and talent competition? H...

This week, we unpack two major developments that spotlight China’s long-term planning in the face of global uncertainty. At the UN Climate Ambition Summit, China announced China’s updated 2035 climate goals — including a 7–10% emissions reduction from peak, over 30% non-fossil energy consumption, and a wind/solar capacity target of 3.6 billion kilowatts. It’s a powerful message that decarbonizatio...

In this week’s Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we connect the dots across five major updates that shed light on China’s evolving priorities. From the first major overhaul of the Arbitration Law in 30 years, to a nationwide push to boost service consumption, to a massive investment plan in energy storage — Beijing is signaling how it intends to navigate growth, resilience, and reform. We also...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we take a closer look at China’s move to revise its Foreign Trade Law—the first foundational overhaul in years. The law, first enacted in 1994, has been revised before, but this time the stakes are much higher. China remains the world’s largest trader, yet global headwinds are mounting: protectionism, sanctions, supply chain shifts, and growing fr...

This week, we take you to Tianjin, where the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit has just concluded. The gathering brought together leaders from across Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East — representing nearly half the world’s population — and delivered eight major outcomes, from launching an SCO Development Bank to setting up new cooperation platforms in green in...

In this episode, we dive into a major policy shift shaping China's urban future. On August 28th, China released a comprehensive directive on urban development, signaling the end of the "build fast, build big" era and the dawn of a new focus on sustainability and quality. The new plan sets a roadmap for how China will reshape its cities, emphasizing smarter infrastructure, green housing, and more i...

This week on Weekly China Recap, Xing Zheming takes you into China’s cultural economy — where a policy shift is reshaping the country’s film and television industry. The release of the “Radio and Television 21 Measures” marks a major reform in Chinese TV regulation in over a decade. From lifting the episode cap to fast-tracking approvals and opening doors to global IP adaptations, the move signals...

China is placing a bold new bet on its economy — not through mega infrastructure projects, but through your wallet. Starting September 1st, a dual interest subsidy will directly reduce the cost of personal consumption loans and support service-sector businesses, in a first-of-its-kind move linking fiscal policy to everyday spending. From home renovations to eldercare services, this policy aims to...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we unpack Beijing's latest blueprint to supercharge its industrial transformation — the Guiding Opinions on Financial Support for New Industrialization. Seven top ministries have joined forces to reimagine finance not as a background player, but as the strategic engine driving China's move toward high-end, green, and digital manufacturing. From te...

This week, we spotlight a historic shift in China's population policy. For the first time, China is rolling out a nationwide childcare subsidy—a bold, centrally funded move to directly support families and encourage childbirth. With real money and policy muscle, Beijing signals it's serious about reversing its declining birthrate. Host Xing Zheming unpacks: What's in the new subsidy plan? Why the...

In this episode of Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we connect two major headlines that tell a much bigger story about China's evolving growth model. From the high-altitude terrain to the tropical shores of Hainan, China is doubling down on long-term transformation. A 1.2 trillion RMB mega hydropower project signals bold investment in clean energy, jobs, and regional development. Meanwhile, H...

In this week's episode, Xing Zheming unpacks the key takeaways from China's economic performance in the first half of 2025. While headlines may focus on external pressures, the real story is one of resilience, structural evolution, and a renewed push for global connection. We explore: - What 5.2% GDP growth means for an economy of China's size - How domestic consumption and services are taking the...

This week on Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we revisit the escalating China–EU trade conflict. After the EU restricted Chinese companies from participating in large-scale medical equipment tenders, Beijing has struck back with its own procurement restrictions targeting European firms. What's really at stake in this tit-for-tat? And how is diplomacy stepping in to contain the fallout? Host X...

This week on Weekly China Recap, host Xing Zheming unpacks the top-level economic meeting that could reshape China's domestic market for years to come. The Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs has laid out a bold plan for building a National Unified Market — aiming to end internal fragmentation, cut through local protectionism, and foster high-quality growth. Zheming explains why...

In this episode, Xing Zheming takes you inside Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s official visit to China — a symbolic and strategic moment marking 35 years of diplomatic ties. Why does this visit matter now? From deepening bilateral trade and investment to shaping new models of global cooperation, China and Singapore are aligning on innovation, governance, and economic resilience. Zheming u...

In this week's Weekly China Recap with Xing Zheming, we unpack the major policy signals from the 2025 Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai — China's premier financial summit. From the launch of a Digital RMB International Center to an unprecedented national-level plan to elevate Shanghai as a global financial hub, this episode explores what these moves mean for China's future in global finance. Tune in for...

This week on Weekly China Recap, host Xing Zheming unpacks a bold new policy that allows Hong Kong–listed companies in the Greater Bay Area to pursue a secondary listing on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. More than just a capital markets reform, this move signals Beijing's ambition to integrate Shenzhen and Hong Kong into a unified financial hub — one that blends the international reach of Hong Kong...

Medical devices have become the latest flashpoint in the increasingly strained relationship between China and the European Union. In this episode, host Xing Zheming explores the European Commission's new anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese medical technology exports — a move Beijing says is politically driven and protectionist. We examine what's behind the EU's decision, how China is respondin...