Financial Times · Full chronicle and history

An in-depth Financial Times report on October 21 pointed out that China's population decline, deflation, weak consumption, and slumping property and stock markets resemble Japan in its day; after the property bubble burst in 2021, new housing starts fell 78% from their peak. Economist Richard Koo argues for stimulating demand through fiscal spending, while Adam Slater does not rule out growth slowing to 2% to 2.5% over the next decade.

A Financial Times report discloses that Beijing is conducting a large-scale investigation into the offshore investments, trusts, and undeclared income of wealthy Chinese, while financial institutions are re-examining the overseas investments of high-net-worth clients.

The Financial Times has re-disclosed and analyzed the sharp decline in the number of corporate entities among China's rural small and medium-sized banks, as well as the weaknesses of the banking system.

The UK's Financial Times reported that CIA Director Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow was aimed at playing a greater role in Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, and said the White House declined to comment. White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly tweeted a denial, saying the White House did not refuse to comment; rather, the Financial Times published its story ahead of the deadline, basing the report on low-level anonymous sources, and not a single one of the claimed conversations ever took place.

A Financial Times report on September 6, 2026 said that nearly 100 tonnes of gold were shipped from Russia to Hong Kong in the first 7 months of 2026, three times the amount for the same period last year, and that large quantities of Russian gold evading Western sanctions ultimately flowed into mainland China.

A reporter went to Zhu Rongji's ancestral home in Hunan and found dozens of plainclothes police officers and local officials watching over the site, though members of the public still came to lay flowers in tribute.

Financial Times reporter at the takeoff site Shifo Temple Airport witnessed police searching a black Buick sedan and searching the flight school office, showing the authorities' level of concern over the incident.