China’s factory output and consumption beat forecasts, while property investment contraction slows

Staff sort parcels on the mail sorting assembly line at the Postal Delivery Logistics Joint Distribution Center in Mengshan County, Wuzhou City, Guangxi Province, China, on January 28, 2026. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images China’s economy started on a strong footing this year, with consumption and production both…

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How nations are coping with the Iran oil shock

A fuel nozzle is inserted into a combustion engine at a petrol pump at a filling station during a refueling process. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Countries around the world have scrambled to cope with the fallout of the energy shock from the Iran war, imposing measures from fuel export bans, loosening…

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Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index

Mount Fuji and the Shinjuku skyline in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher Wednesday as investors assessed the ongoing Middle East war. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.59% to close at 8,743.5. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.43% to end…

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China can’t afford another crackdown on its tech companies

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 Instead of trumpeting China’s tech advances, Premier Li Qiang struck an uncharacteristically somber tone during a nationwide address on policy plans. I’ve heard him speak…

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China exports sharply beat expectations in the first two months as trade surplus surges to highest on record

A cargo ship is loading and unloading foreign trade containers at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, Jan. 13, 2026. Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s trade surplus rose to its highest on record in the combined January-February period while exports massively beat expectations, underscoring the resilience of the world’s second-largest economy…

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