As US President Donald Trump primed his arrival in Davos by sowing discord with allies – ramping up threats to take control of Greenland, vowing to levy tariffs on opponents of that bid, and leaking private messages from European leaders – Beijing took the cue to position itself as an alternative global leader.

China has issued the first batch of 93.6 billion yuan ($13.44 billion) of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support equipment upgrades for this year, the state planner said on Thursday, as part of steps to shore up the economy.

The discovery is among several major gold finds in China in recent months, including Asia's largest undersea gold deposit.

I N A CHAOTIC world, China did the predictable thing. Its economy met the official growth target for 2025, according to figures released on January 19th, just as it had the year before and the year before that.

Chinese rural banks are unable to find buyers for hundreds of foreclosed properties they are auctioning despite offering steep discounts, deepening a real estate crisis and adding to risks for the financial sector and the broader economy.

An enormous population has long been a foundational way for China to project its strength. But anxiety about managing so many mouths has always loomed.

Today, the world looks more unsettling for Mr Xi. America’s capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela robbed China of its closest partner in South America and its biggest arms buyer in the region. It also affects about 4% of Chinese crude oil imports and may force China to write off some $10bn in loans.

Chinese lending to Africa nearly halved to $2.1 billion in 2024, the first annual decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country shifts to selective, strategic projects, according to data released on Wednesday by Boston University.

From embracing an “Are you dead yet?” app to rewriting Lunar New Year customs, here’s how a rising generation of young adults in China is coping with social isolation and economic hardship.

China installed 561 gigawatts of wind power electricity by the end of 2024, easily the largest amount in the world. The U.S. is second.