China’s economy strains, Beijing’s oil threat vow: SCMP daily highlights

SCMP | Sept. 15, 2025, 10:25 a.m. | Original
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A woman walks past a Cartier store at a shopping mall in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

China’s economy showed signs of strain in August, as sluggish domestic demand, headwinds from the US trade war and a prolonged property downturn continued to weigh on several major indicators.

2. Zheng Yongnian on why China must look beyond the West to build a better AI

The political analyst says strong narrative based on factual Chinese framework must be included in artificial intelligence knowledge feed

3. Central Asia beckons for China’s cultural tourists retracing ancient Silk Road

Tourism is booming in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, with visitors from China drawn to the “crossroads of civilisation”. Photo: EPA
Tourism is booming in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, with visitors from China drawn to the “crossroads of civilisation”. Photo: EPA

Beijing’s infrastructure programme and other partnership initiatives with the Central Asian republics have seen visitor numbers soar.

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