
More recent developments

Shanghai scales back property tax pilot
Weak housing demand continues to stall momentum for a national property tax. The latest: On Friday, Shanghai announced that non-local homeowners – those without Shanghai household registration – will now be exempt from property tax payments on their first homes.… Read More »

Trump-Xi call paves way for meeting in October
On Friday, Xi Jinping held a call with US President Donald Trump. Some context: China and the US are trying to negotiate a deal on key issues like agricultural purchases, tech restrictions, rare earths, fentanyl, TikTok, and more. As it… Read More »

Local governments barely raise social insurance base
Provinces are putting the brakes on social insurance increases. Some context: Employers and their staff contribute a proportion of staff salaries to social security funds. Provinces set a contribution ceiling – capping social security contributions for high-income earners. They also set… Read More »