The Chinese government tries to shift its economy from investment-driven towards consumption, with considerable success. And the outside world is equally seeing the consumption power of the Chinese, as they travel more than ever, and spend per head more than tourists from any other country.

But tapping into that huge spending power is not always easy, and is driven by the often hard-to-predict habits of Chinese consumers, policies by the government and the powerful social media. Experts at the China Speakers Bureau are happy to give your efforts direction.Read More →

China has changed its income tax for the first time in seven years, beneficial for the lower income groups, and less for the high earner. Financial analyst Sara Hsu discusses the purpose: more spending might be a motive, but as aging and health care costs loom, many might opt for saving, she says at CGTN.Read More →

The trade war between the US and China has up to now mainly hit headlines, nervous traders and heated political debates, but there is no doubt consumers will feel the burnt too, says financial analyst Sara Hsu to Reuters. Moving away from China is mostly not an option, she says. “It can take up to five years to move from China to another country.”Read More →

China’s central government and the Vatican closed a deal on appointments of Catholic bishops in China, causing debate among the already divided Catholics in the country, writes journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao at the New York Times. The way the Communist-ruled state church might integrate with the Roman Catholic church might not please all Catholics, he writes.Read More →

The focus has been on the Chinese government after US president Donald Trump announced new tariffs. But that might be wrong, says economist Arthur Kroeber, author of China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know to CNN. What Trump wants is not getting China into negotiations, but forcing US companies to come back to the US.Read More →

The debate is taking off on whether China would allow gambling on Hainan Island. Financial analyst Sara Hsu explains gambling would diversify the tourism industry on the island, but would also hurt the economy in nearby Macau. Two earlier efforts on Hainan were already aborted for political reasons.Read More →

Most Western media reports focus on the oppression of religion in China, and miss one of the most important developments in the country when it comes to religion, argues journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao in the China Zentrum. “Faith and values are returning to the center of a national discussion over how to organize Chinese life.”Read More →

Religion in China is on the rise, shows journalist Ian Johnson in his book The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao. China’s outbound investments in the One Road, One Belt (OBOR) or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) program illustrate that change in China’s approach to religion, he says to Indepthnews.netRead More →