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China’s CPI rises 1% amid steady consumer price growth in June

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. Customers seen shopping for fruits and vegetables at a supermarket in Shanghai, China, June 20, 2026. /VCG China's consumer prices maintained steady growth in June, while producer prices rose at a faster pace, reflecting resilient domestic demand despite external price fluctuations. The consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, rose 1.0% year on year in June, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday. On a monthly basis, the CPI slipped 0.3%, mainly due to seasonal factors and fluctuations in global commodity prices, said Dong Lijuan, chief statistician at the NBS. International market swings pushed domestic prices for gold jewelry and gasoline down by 8.7% and 4.9%, respectively. Food prices fell 0.4% from the previous month as seasonal fruits and vegetables entered the market in greater quantities, ensuring ample supply. Service prices were unchanged from May after a slight decline the previous month.

July 9, 2026

Business

Formula E is quietly redesigning your next EV

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. Think the electric vehicle (EV) in your garage has nothing to do with Formula E racing? Think again. From the races to the technology under your hood, the line between the competition tracks and roads has never been thinner. At Shanghai's double-header, CGTN's Wang Tianyu found that race teams are not just chasing podiums – they're mining race-day data to build your next car.

July 9, 2026

Business

Democrat Graham Platner exits key US Senate race, but denies rape allegation

Graham Platner’s withdrawal in Maine throws open one of the most competitive midterm races in November Graham Platner, a scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee whose insurgent rise had drawn comparisons to Donald Trump, ended his campaign on Wednesday after a rape allegation threatened to derail one of his party’s best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat. Platner, a Marine veteran, oysterman and political newcomer, won last month’s Democratic primary in the northeastern state of Maine to face Republican Senator Susan Collins in November’s midterm elections. His withdrawal gives Maine Democrats only days to regroup in a race central to the party’s hopes of regaining control of the US Senate. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. “We are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said in a video posted on X. “This is incredibly difficult, because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not.” Under Maine law, Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot because he quit before a July 13 deadline. The state party has until July 27 to choose a new nominee.

July 9, 2026

Business

Goldman Sachs forecasts 50% jump for battery giant CATL’s shares as energy storage takes off

The Wall Street investment bank expected CATL’s battery energy storage system business to be its next value-creation engine Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL) will see 50 per cent growth in its share price to a record high over the next 12 months, as it benefits from rising demand for energy independence, according to Goldman Sachs. The Wall Street investment bank expected CATL’s battery energy storage system business to be its next value-creation engine, though the market is viewing the business more for its potential to increase battery volumes. “We see a strategic integration push that can lift margins, earnings quality, share and valuations, supported by a deepening moat vs Chinese battery peers built on years of cost, technology leadership, and ecosystem buildout,” said Goldman Sachs analysts Nick Zheng and Selina Yan in a note on Thursday. “As front-loaded demand drives ESS cyclicality towards [2028] and performance gaps expose weaker suppliers, China’s fragmented [energy storage system] battery market is ripe for consolidation.” Goldman put its 12-month target price for CATL’s Hong Kong stock at HK$946 and its Shenzhen shares at 566 yuan, implying a 51 per cent and 57 per cent rise, respectively.

July 9, 2026

Business

Woman, 50, arrested for murder after minibus stop fight in Hong Kong

Dispute reportedly began after accidental footstep at an Aberdeen minibus stop, escalating into confrontation that continued after both women alighted Hong Kong police have arrested a 50-year-old woman after she became involved in a brawl at a minibus station with another woman who later died. A police spokesman said officers received a report at 10.31pm on Wednesday that the two women were fighting at the minibus stop outside Wah Chui House at Wah Fu (II) Estate in Aberdeen. When officers arrived at the scene, a 53-year-old woman was found lying unconscious on the ground. She was taken to Queen Mary Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11.22pm. A source told the South China Morning Post that the dispute began when the victim accidentally stepped on the foot of the 50-year-old while they were waiting for minibus route 63A to Wah Fu Estate at Aberdeen Centre. According to the source, the argument escalated after the victim kicked the suspect’s foot again. The dispute continued after the two women got off the minibus. The suspect allegedly attempted to kick the victim in retaliation after alighting, while the victim dragged her out of the vehicle.

July 9, 2026

Business

Is China’s biggest daily US soybean order confirmation of Xi-Trump summit pact?

The 472,000 tonnes sold were the most in a single day since November and a ‘positive signal’ of Beijing’s intentions, analysts said “China has a long way to go to reach their commitments, but this is a positive signal that they have intentions to do so,” said Mark Knight of Farmer’s Keeper Financial, adding that the purchase had been rumoured in the marketplace for several days. “Like this week’s purchases, I would also expect China to show good faith in September when Xi visits,” Knight added, referencing the Chinese leader’s planned visit to Washington later this year.

July 9, 2026

Business

Malaysians in Hong Kong locked out of state elections amid tight voting deadlines

Hong Kong is home to an estimated 15,000 Malaysians, many of whom remain closely engaged with politics back home Yu, 36, missed the Johor registration, despite having voted by post before and helping other Malaysians in Hong Kong return ballots during the 2022 general election. The singer and bartender, who has lived in Hong Kong since 2009, said the problem was a lack of official communication, meaning overseas voters like himself were left to track and keep abreast of election timelines pretty much by themselves. “Throughout my years in Hong Kong, I have never received any updates from the Election Commission or the consulate about elections at all,” he said, adding that his information often came through Malaysian community networks. If voters were informed early enough, the official 10-day registration period could still be workable in Hong Kong, where courier services were efficient, he said.

July 9, 2026

Business

Legal tender and electronic payments – can we insist on paying in cash?

When a tourist tried to pay for a burger in cash at a Tsim Sha Tsui restaurant in 2023, staff refused. The outlet accepted only cards and electronic wallets. The episode went viral, with debate raging over whether or not this is legal. After all, Hong Kong bank notes and coins constitute legal tender in Hong Kong under the Legal Tender Notes Issue Ordinance and the Coinage Ordinance, and the concept of legal tender is enshrined in the Basic Law (Article 111). What’s the use of having legal...

July 9, 2026

Business

Sexual offences law review a chance to make clear what constitutes abuse

In recent years, Hong Kong society has repeatedly confronted the realities of sexual violence, sexual harassment and online sexual exploitation. Survivors’ experiences have made it clear that our sexual offences law is no longer adequate for the world we live in today. Against this backdrop, the government has issued a consultation paper on improving the laws on sexual offences in Hong Kong. It aims to clarify and give a concrete definition to “consent” and to build a modern framework for...

July 9, 2026

Business

China husband says ‘I love you’ after wife wakes him from vegetative state by biting his toes

Man’s selfless act in 2019 saving child during fall left him brain-damaged but wife’s devotion to his recovery wins online praise A woman in central China has captured the hearts of many online after helping her husband emerge from a years-long vegetative state by biting his toes to stimulate his nerves. Song Mei, 45, a former kindergarten art teacher from Henan province, and her husband Zhao Jinqian, a waterproofing worker, had lived modestly with their two children before tragedy upended their lives. Local reports described the couple as generous even when it exceeded their means. Song gave free painting lessons at home to children from poor families, while Zhao, after years of gruelling work on construction sites, sponsored a student from a remote mountain area. In October 2019, Zhao climbed onto a warehouse roof to rescue a trapped three-year-old child. He fell from a height of about six metres while holding the youngster in his arms, using his body to shield the child as they plunged to the ground. The child escaped unharmed, but Zhao landed head first, suffering severe brain injuries and multiple fractures. Doctors said his chances of waking were vanishingly small, and that he had survived at all was a miracle.

July 9, 2026

Business

Saudi Arabian tech giant eyes Hong Kong as Asia gateway and smart city partner

Elm, backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund, expresses strong ‘appetite’ for engaging with Northern Metropolis project A Saudi Arabian tech giant has made Hong Kong its first stop on its maiden visit to Asia, expressing strong interest in partnering with local authorities to co-develop a smart city and establish a strategic gateway to the broader regional market. The remarks on Wednesday followed the opening of LEAP East 2026, the inaugural Hong Kong edition of the global tech event, where Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po highlighted deepening ties between the two regions. Chan said he would lead a business delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year. The three-day technology conference in Wan Chai has already drawn about 35,000 participants from more than 30 countries and territories to Hong Kong. “This is my first time in Asia and the start is in Hong Kong,” said Majid Saad Al-Arifi, executive vice-president of marketing at Elm, in an interview with the South China Morning Post. He added that the visit was the firm’s first step towards entering the Asian market. Elm is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Public Investment Fund and serves as the digital solutions provider for governments and businesses.

July 9, 2026

Business

Myanmar has ‘a mountain to climb’ to woo 2 million tourists a year

Myanmar saw 4.5 million tourist arrivals at the peak in 2015, but the numbers have fallen sharply since the military coup in 2021 Authorities have been ramping up efforts to bolster Myanmar’s tourism sector, which fell following the 2021 coup that led to widespread civil unrest across the country. Over 100,000 deaths have been logged since the crisis, according to conflict monitor Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. More than 973,000 foreign tourists visited Myanmar last year, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said in January. Officials are hoping to nearly double that to 1.8 million this year. “We mainly expect to see a surge in Chinese and Thai visitors, so they will be a key driver of our tourism growth,” Maung Maung Kyaw, the ministry’s permanent secretary, told Bloomberg. Chinese travellers remain Myanmar’s biggest source of visitors arriving by air, followed by Thais and South Koreans, according to the Bloomberg report. This remains consistent with tourism figures in 2024, when tourists from China made up 35 per cent of inbound visitors, followed by Thailand at 15 per cent.

July 9, 2026