Companies vie for reluctant consumers in sign of rising deflationary pressure

20250822N Meituan delivery

Meituan is among the delivery app giants engaging in a price war amid deflationary pressure in China. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)

KENTARO SHIOZAKI and TOMOKO WAKASUGI

August 23, 2025 08:29 JST

BEIJING/SHANGHAI — Deep discounts have become a symptom of China’s economic slowdown as the country starts to show more signs of downard pressure on prices.