Laura He

For decades, Western companies made a fortune betting on the inexorable rise of the Chinese consumer. Now an economic slump and the emergence of ferocious local competitors means those bets look less safe as price wars erupt.

Beijing has launched its most ambitious plan yet to rescue its property market, a development that investors have eagerly anticipated for months. But it’s far from certain that the measures will work.

Tesla is one step closer to launching full-self driving (FSD) technology in China after it clinched an agreement with Baidu to upgrade its mapping software.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has further cut its large stake in BYD, which vies with Tesla as the world’s largest electric car (EV) maker, as global trade tensions escalate over Chinese EVs.

Battered by Western sanctions, Russia’s largest privately owned bank is expanding its business in the world’s second-largest economy.

Authorities in cash-strapped Chinese cities are chasing companies for taxes dating back years, and in some cases decades, as they try to plug a hole blown in their finances by the real estate crisis.

Factory activity among China’s private firms expanded at the fastest pace in three years, a private gauge showed Monday. But an official survey of bigger business showed activity shrinking.

Money is rushing into Chinese government bonds, sending their prices soaring as investors hunt for a safer alternative to real estate and stocks. Beijing is worried about a bust that could bring down some banks.

China has announced a plan to raise one of the world’s lowest retirement ages, which has been on the cards for years, as it tries to cope with a rapidly ageing population and a pension shortfall. But that has fuelled public anger across the internet and generated a fierce backlash.

Japan’s stock market plunged further on Monday as a global sell-off intensified following weak US jobs data.