A short ban on ride-hailing services at one of China’s busiest airports has generated concerns that other ‘sweeping’ regulatory moves could be in the pipeline, throttling consumer confidence and blunting economic growth.

The party is facing internal pressure, especially from its younger members, for renewal – including a review of its stance on cross-strait relations.

Whatever the fallout, passing bills will be much tougher for new leader William Lai, analysts say.

All eyes will be on Beijing’s reaction to the victory of someone it sees as a hardcore separatist and the issue threatens to further cloud relations with the US.

Around an hour after the polls had closed, some opposition supporters had already accepted that it was not to be their day.

Voter turnout is expected to exceed the 74.9 per cent reported in 2020, thanks to good weather and fierce three-way race.

During his campaign, Hou Yu-ih has battled an image problem – for himself as well as his party, which is struggling to stay relevant in rapidly changing Taiwan

Mainland China uses import bans and economic ties to send political message to Taiwanese voters while businesses on the island look to sell products elsewhere as they brace for worsening cross-strait tensions.

Real estate and private investment continued to drag on China’s economy in the first 11 months of the year, and while retail sales rose in November, challenges remain amid an uneven recovery.

Strong ties between China and world’s major mineral exporters, especially those with vast copper and nickel resources, leave West playing catch-up in securing supplies.

Turkish ambassador says his country can help China’s trade with the world, including the European Union, with which Turkey has a free-trade agreement while China does not.

Premier Li Qiang spoke during the opening ceremony of the inaugural China International Supply Chain Expo on Tuesday in Beijing.

China’s financial regulators say they will make it easier to obtain loans and financing for hi-tech manufacturing, specialised corporations and small and medium-sized tech enterprises.

Analysts expressed optimism in China’s ability to woo foreign investors after a downturn in confidence, welcome news for policymakers who have been keen to court overseas capital back.

The International Supply Chain Expo kicks off next week and is expected to show progress in China’s self-sufficiency drive as ‘de-risking’ becomes more prevalent in a time of geopolitical uncertainties.

Known for his critical assessments of China’s economy, Yu says there is ‘very big room’ for more expansionary fiscal policies, and time is of the essence in adopting them – or bigger risks could emerge.

Businesses from the European Union would like concepts like ‘important data’ and ‘personal information’, which appear frequently in China’s data laws, to be better defined.

Accounting firms and auditors look to come under greater scrutiny as Beijing tightens its grip on data security and management, and further industry-specific laws and regulations are expected.

Bloc’s top officials confirmed to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang while concerns about Beijing subsidies and Ukraine support persist.

China has not invested enough in the exploration of strategic minerals, according to natural resources minister Wang Guanghua, with national security and self-reliance an increasing concern for Beijing.

A government adviser, speaking on digital innovation’s potential to propel development, has suggested loosening regulatory burdens to lubricate the process.

Xi Jinping spoke in favour of the continued presence of the state in strategic economic sectors, bolstering national security goals but likely crowding out private entities.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) revises up China’s gross domestic product growth rate forecasts for 2023 and 2024, but warns that continued weakness in the property sector and subdued external demand would continue to slow growth.

Boosting private investment and market confidence in China is of utmost importance to realising Beijing’s economic growth goals, but critics say transparency is still lacking.

It has been nearly four months since the US Federal Reserve’s last interest rate hike – the 11th since early 2022 – but the impact still lingers in China’s markets, and an outflow of capital has persisted while the yuan depreciates.

The US-sanctioned Chinese region borders eight countries, including Russia, Pakistan and other trade partners that should benefit from a plan to create new manufacturing and innovation hubs in Xinjiang.

Staff at Israeli missions in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong asked to get security approval before going out, sources tell the Post. Israeli diplomats and their families in Beijing earlier told to stay home for the weekend following the stabbing of an embassy worker.

Central bank meeting outlines plans for more targeted monetary policies to aid economic recovery.