China business veteran Shaun Rein discusses with Cyrus Janssen how China has faced challenges since it opened up post-Corona. Outbound travel has not resumed, expected revenge spending did not happen and consumer confidence is at the lowest rate ever. No, he says, China is not yet back to normal, because consumers sit on their corona savings, unwilling to spend. And foreign investors, while CEOs are going to China, are hesitant to resume investing in China, at least till the end of 2023. But support for Xi Jinping is still there, he sees. Though, expect a tough 10-20 years.Read More →

Just lifting the stringent Covid-19 restrictions in China did not revive its economy as expected. The lockdowns ended in December 2022 and visas were issued in March 2023 again, but the recovery had been lackluster. The aviation industry belongs to those with the most disappointing predictions by June. 22, 2023, as it expects to be back to normal by the end of 2024, hoping for an extension of government support, reports the South China Morning Post.Read More →

China launched its first homemade cruise ship, as this part of the tourist industry struggles to stay afloat. But consumption expert Ashley Dudarenok sees a bright future for cruises from China, as this industry is still in its infancy in a country where many look for alternatives, she tells at state-owned broadcaster CGTN.Read More →

The crowds might be back in China’s restaurants but they are not spending as much as they used to. The economy is not back on track, the labor market is bad and salaries are being cut. Business analyst Shaun Rein has sent his researchers out, and they did come back with bad news, he tells CNBC.Read More →

While China is seriously trying to get to terms with the end of the zero-Covid policies since the end of December 2022, international business has not been following suit, according to the Financial Times. International business delegations and other foreign visitors have not yet returned to Shanghai, writes the paper.Read More →

Domestic competition for foreign fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in China is growing, but branding expert Ashley Dudarenok expects there will still be a market for those foreign brands, she writes in Dao Insights. “To sum it up, the FMCG market in China in 2023 is very fluid,” she writes.Read More →