China’s defence companies, eliminating ‘lying flat’ mentality: SCMP daily catch-up

From an interview with this year’s Nobel Prize winner to a five per cent GDP target, here’s a round-up from today’s China and economy coverage

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Some Chinese cities are tackling poor performance by cadres by calling them out. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly urged the “lying flat” phenomenon to be eliminated for China to prosper. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00pm, 2 Dec 2024

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1. Nobel winner James Robinson on ‘intensification’ of trade wars under Trump

A University of Chicago professor, Robinson was one of the three winners of the Nobel Prize for economics this year. Here, he discusses his work on ‘inclusive’ vs ‘extractive’ institutions and how China fits in.

2. Why China’s defence companies aren’t cashing in on a global arms sale surge

A Chinese stealth fighter model displayed at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai on November 14. Photo: AFP

Chinese defence companies saw their lowest annual revenue growth in four years amid a domestic economic slowdown while global arms sales continued to grow, fuelled by demand from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, a Swedish think tank report said.

3. China’s efforts to lure foreign investment clouded by Trump presidency: analysts

Donald Trump’s “hardline stance on China” creates a challenging out for China’s foreign direct investment, analysts said. Photo: TNS