As the first batch of Chilean cherries arrived at Shanghai, more and more Chinese ports will start receiving cherries, the Global Times learned.

Just over 10 months after having set off on its maiden voyage, China's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, has made 64 voyages and transported about 250,000 passengers, according to state broadcaster CCTV on Monday.

German auto giant Mercedes-Benz said it considers the European Commission (EC)'s tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles "a mistake that can lead to far-reaching negative consequences," and calls for the postponement of the enforcement of the tariff measures, following a crucial EU vote on the EV issue.

A shipment of Kenyan dried wild sea cucumber arrived at the Changsha Huanghua International Airport in Central China's Hunan Province and hit the market on Thursday, marking the first entry of Kenyan dried sea cucumber to China after a protocol granting market access to Kenyan wild-caught aquatic products, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) launched an anti-discrimination investigation on Thursday into Canada's tariff hikes on electric vehicles (EVs) as well as steel and aluminum products imported from China, after initial results uncovered this discriminatory approach.

October 1, 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over the past 75 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the country has made remarkable progress in social and economic development. From a once backward agrarian society, China has transformed itself into the world's second-largest economy, increasingly interconnected with the global economy and offering significant opportunities to the rest of the world. To highlight this, the Global Times is launching a series of articles, with this installment focusing on the country's evolving consumption patterns amid improved living standards

China is making a vital contribution to the global energy shift by providing high-quality and affordable new-energy solutions to overseas clients and investing heavily in its own green energy capacity, analysts and industry experts said on Monday, a day after the fourth anniversary of China's announcement of its "dual carbon" goals.

More than 10,000 apps and services can now be found on the HarmonyOS NEXT, a proprietary operating system (OS) developed by Chinese technology company Huawei, a company executive said over the weekend.

China CSSC Holdings and China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC) on Thursday detailed a plan to merge through a share swap to create the world's largest shipbuilder, in what analysts described as a milestone deal that could see Chinese shipyards' overall competitiveness on the global stage further rise. According to the plan, China CSSC Holdings will swap shares with CSIC at a ratio of 1:0.1335, in a mega deal valued at 115.15 billion yuan ($16.23 billion).

The development of China's sports industry has created a new engine of growth for the retail market, as the industry's annual growth rate is much faster than that of overall GDP, an official of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) said on Wednesday.

China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Antonio Tajani, Italy's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, on Monday, in which the two sides discussed the EU's anti-subsidy case against China's electric vehicles (EV). Wang said China hopes the European Commission (EC) will respond to the calls of all parties and properly resolve China-EU economic and trade differences through dialogue and consultation based on the consensus reached by Chinese and European leaders, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

If you asked people about artificial intelligence (AI) 10 years ago, most wouldn't have understood its meaning. Today, however, AI has been gradually integrated into all aspects of daily life in China, such as travel, retail, medical care, entertainment, logistics and many other fields.

The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) concluded in Beijing on Monday, achieving some 1,000 practical outcomes in deals and investments, with more than 20 percent of its on-site exhibitors being international companies.

If you asked people about artificial intelligence (AI) 10 years ago, most wouldn't have understood its meaning. Today, however, AI has been gradually integrated into all aspects of daily life in China, such as travel, retail, medical, entertainment, logistics and other services sectors.

The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has become a hub for Chinese and international visitors to exchange ideas on the latest innovations and technologies across industries. Many foreign attendees are impressed by China's innovation and technology advancement, as many Chinese firms showcased their latest products.

A total of 20 Australian companies, organizations and institutions, including a number of universities, are attending the ongoing 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, as they look for opportunities to boost cooperation amid improving ties.

The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) commenced on Thursday, showcasing China's determination to further open up to the world and its willingness to share the dividends of its growth. The event witnessed enthusiastic attendance from countries around the world, offering a strong rebuttal to the decoupling efforts by some politicians in the West, analysts said.

As the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is set to commence on Thursday, attending companies and exhibitors expressed optimism about leveraging China's rapidly growing services sector and benefiting from the country's innovation-driven growth.

China's services sector and services trade are expected to maintain upward momentum in the second half of the year, supported by strong industrial foundations, sustained development momentum, and the country's economic resilience, a top executive with global accountancy firm Ernst & Young told the Global Times ahead of the opening of 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

China's private space company LandSpace successfully conducted a 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) test on Wednesday, marking the country's first in-flight ignition during the descent stage.

The reported visit by Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers to China later this month signals a furthering of the high-level interactions between China and Australia under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy and more concrete results with economic and trade issues in focus amid an overall improvement of bilateral relations after years of frayed ties, analysts said on Monday.

The Netherlands is planning to limit ASML Holding NV's ability to repair and maintain its semiconductor equipment in China, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, noting that the move came as a result of political pressure from the US. Chinese experts said on Friday that the move, which violates market norms, will further disrupt the global semiconductor industrial and supply chain and predicted that the US pressure on its allies to join its technology crackdown campaign against China will backfire.

China and Africa will cultivate "small yet smart" livelihood programs that feature technical training, effectiveness and poverty alleviation in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's top economic planner said on Thursday.

Mobile phone shipments in China totaled 24.2 million units in July, up 30.5 percent year-on-year, data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed on Wednesday.

Yin Jifu is a senior engineer with the National Engineering Research Center of Dredging Technology and Equipment under the state-owned construction giant China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

The nuclear-themed tourism project run by Chinese nuclear giant China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has saw online bookings surpass 2,000 in the two weeks after the service is launched, a trend that exceeded expectations, sources told the Global Times on Thursday.

China's semiconductor companies posted stellar first-half gains as the global semiconductor industry staged a strong rebound.

As a Chinese-made Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit system (ART system) was showcased at Indonesia's 79th Independence Day celebrations in the new Indonesian capital of Nusantara over the weekend, industry experts said on Monday that the new system is poised to contribute to the country's green and digital drive.

Hong Kong's 2025 GDP growth will be better than that in 2024, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday, according to media reports.

China has established the world's largest and most developed new-energy industry chain, an official from China's top economic planner said at an event on Thursday.

Many foreign sportswear brands see growth potential in China, as Chinese people become more sports-minded, spurred by summer events including the just-concluded Paris Olympics.

China's Xiaomi has become the third largest smartphone vendor in Japan, a market known for its deep moat, as a Chinese industry expert said the situation reflected Chinese products' rising competitiveness.

Three Chinese ministries published a plan on Thursday to systematically strengthen the standardization and measurement systems used to gauge the country's efforts to realize "dual carbon" goals, a move that analysts said could help the country's industrial products gain a firmer foothold amid rising risks of hidden trade barriers in some major markets.

Members of the public can now book visits to the country's nuclear power plants in nine cities, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced on Wednesday.

As US tech firms including Intel Corp reported a weaker-than-expected performance for the second quarter, with Intel even announcing a downsizing plan to axe 15,000 jobs, Chinese analysts said the US government is witnessing a fresh blow as a result of its technology war against China.

Along with Team China, 35,000 high-performance ping pong balls and a wide array of high-tech sports gear descended on the Paris Olympics. Chinese experts and industry players said the situation reflected a profound change in the Chinese industrial sector in the past decade.

As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games unfolds, the sports gala has become a source of heightened people-to-people exchanges as Chinese tourists descend on the "City of Light" in massive numbers that will create new opportunities for both countries.

Italy can be the perfect gateway for third-country markets for Chinese companies, Mario Boselli, president of the Italy China Council Foundation (ICCF), told the Global Times in an interview ahead of the visit to China of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Three Chinese automakers singled out by the European Commission (EC) in its anti-subsidy probe have sought and received additional hearings, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, becoming part of the ongoing negotiations between China and the EU on the bloc's decision to impose extra tariffs on China-made electric vehicles (EVs).

French banking group BNP Parisbas recently established a wholly owned securities firm in Shanghai, becoming the fourth foreign financial institution to set up a wholly owned brokerage firm in the Chinese mainland, the Securities Daily reported on Tuesday.

Key investment projects are set to improve the quality of China-Russia trade and provide further impetus for bilateral trade to reach $300 billion by 2030, Chinese experts said on Tuesday, as cooperation meetings were held in Russia this week.

Further progress in practical cooperation between China and Russia is expected as a result of frequent and continuous high-level official exchanges and intensified cooperation among localities, Chinese analysts said on Sunday.

China imported 1,346 tons of pork products from Russia in June, quadrupling May's figure, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed over the weekend.

Chinese industry insiders and experts said India's reported plan to make it easier for Chinese citizens to get visas to visit India is positive for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, which is facing a surge in demand in the post-pandemic era.

As the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is underway in Beijing, many around the world are closely following the crucial meeting for signals of China's reform and opening-up agenda, with many foreign businesses expressing confidence in China's long-term development prospects.

China expressed hope that relevant countries can "distinguish right from wrong" concerning the US government's vicious containment and suppression of China's semiconductor sector, and these countries could take firm measures to resist the US, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

China's real estate sector has made steady progress in ensuring the punctual delivery of homes in the first half of the year, with the top 10 developers delivering 700,000 homes, underscoring the effectiveness of the policy support given to the sector through a period of necessary correction.

Chinese centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) set up a marine engineering innovation consortium on Monday, aiming to foster scientific breakthroughs and break technological bottlenecks constraining the development of the fast-growing marine industry, which plays a key role in China's harnessing of its marine resources.

China's cruise market saw a robust recovery in the first half of 2024, with 206 voyages operated by 23 cruise ships that carried 500,000 passengers, China Media Group (CMG) reported on Sunday.

As the Communist Party of China (CPC) is expected to convene a crucial reform-themed meeting next week, a look back on China's remarkable achievements in comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up over the past decade, which underpinned China's high-quality development against a complex global geo-economic situation, offers a critical window into what to expect from the upcoming meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday that factors affecting China's economic growth have become more complex than in the past and called for better implementation of macro policies to ensure the annual economic development goal is met, according to China Media Group (CMG).

The Chinese economy may post a faster-than-5-percent growth rate for the first half of the year, exceeding a preset annual target, according to predictions made by a number of Chinese economists on Monday. A growth rate in the range of 5.1-5.4 percent was predicted for the second quarter.

China and Tajikistan on Friday announced the elevation of ties to comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era during Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing state visit to Tajikistan, injecting new momentum and opening up a new chapter in bilateral ties and common development of the two countries.

China is tightening up efforts to comprehensively prevent and stem financial fraud in the capital market to ensure its high-quality development, according to a government circular on Friday.

A reported move by the People's Bank of China (PBC) to enter into borrowing agreements with commercial banks has indicated policymakers' willingness to expand toolkit to maintain bond market stability, Chinese analysts said on Friday.

Transaction volumes of foreigners using overseas wallet apps to pay for goods and services in China have grown more than sevenfold, the People's Daily reported on Thursday, citing data from Chinese online payment clearing house NetsUnion Clearing Corporation.

The Canadian government should refrain from stirring up trade tensions with China over electric vehicles (EVs), Chinese analysts said, as Ottawa released a document on Tuesday as part of its formal consultations which might lead to the imposition of tariffs on Chinese EVs.

China's property market displayed signs of improvement in terms of sales revenues of the top 100 real estate developers, an industry report showed on Monday.

As an important member of ASEAN, Thailand's announcement of its intention to become a member of the BRICS group of emerging economies is of great significance not only to Thailand itself but also to ASEAN as a whole. The ASEAN economy has seen rapid growth in recent years, and its influence has increased gradually. Joining the BRICS is not only conducive to Thailand's economic development but also enables Thailand to play a greater role in the international arena. Thailand's joining of BRICS will certainly provide favorable conditions for further strengthening all-round exchanges and cooperation with BRICS countries and the ASEAN. At present, the Thai government is actively improving Thailand's status in the international arena. As we all know, the Thai economy was founded on two pillars – exports and tourism. As such, Thailand has always been a supporter of multinationalism and free trade. Thailand's eventual accession to the BRICS will strongly boost the in-depth internationalization of trade and economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and development in the region.

Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Beijing on Saturday to kick off a five-day visit to China, which will end on June 26, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Business representatives, a former Polish official and Chinese observers reached by the Global Times expressed high hopes that with Duda's ongoing visit, the two countries could enhance trade and economic cooperation, eyeing concrete cooperation and more measures to foster the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The reported visit by German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck this week to China highlights the importance of addressing disputes through dialogue, and sets an example for other European countries, a Chinese trade expert said on Thursday.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Wednesday unveiled revised guidelines for the lithium-ion battery industry to further strengthen standardized management and promote the high-quality development of the sector.

The economy further consolidated its expansion trend in May, with positive factors amassing, a spokesperson of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Tuesday.

The EU's tariff decision on imports of Chinese battery electric vehicles (EVs) has drawn stern criticism from the German business community in China, with the German Chamber of Commerce (GCC) saying that such tariffs could affect the global automotive industry and calling for negotiations.

The thawing relations between China and Australia are expected to get a significant boost with the ongoing state visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Australia starting on Saturday, the first visit by a Chinese Premier in seven years, Australian officials and business representatives said.

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner, recently published three opinion pieces on the EU decision to impose extra tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EV), while urging the EU to scrap the protectionist and unwelcome levies.

Following loud opposition against the European Commission (EC)'s decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, Chinese government departments and organizations on Thursday urged the EU to immediately correct its wrongdoings and get back to the rational track of handling disputes through dialogue and consultations, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry vowing to take "necessary measures" and China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) stating it reserves the right to resolve the dispute at the WTO.

China issued another stern warning to the EU on Tuesday, calling for the timely termination of a probe against Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers.

A large number of major projects have made fresh progress in recent days, with a demonstrated edge in China's manufacturing capability and capacity, paving the way for the world's second-largest economy to post sound economic data for May, Chinese analysts said on Monday.

Many Chinese people are familiar with at least some Russian tourist attractions. The Kremlin, the Red Square, to name a few. For many, these tourist destinations deserve in-person visits at least once in their lifetime.

The Chinese economy is expected to post steady gains in the second quarter, with GDP growth on par with the first quarter of about 5.3 percent, analysts said on Monday after the release of statistics signaling an upward trajectory.

The reported approval paving the way for the resumption of Australian beef exports to China is an encouraging sign, marking one more improvement in bilateral trade ties, and it is expected to contribute to bilateral trade growth, Chinese observers said on Wednesday.

A growing number of Chinese manufacturing companies are seeking opportunities in Russia amid the country's drive to make products locally, industry insiders told the Global Times.

There could be a significant increase in the number of Chinese visitors to the Russian capital this year, due to the enhanced level of cooperation among bilateral industry participants following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent state visit to China, a Moscow tourism official told the Global Times.

China's youth unemployment rate, excluding students aged from 16 to 24, was 14.7 percent in April, down from 15.3 percent in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Tuesday.

China's trade and economic cooperation with Central Asian countries has been on a fast lane in recent years and has demonstrated the willingness of the world's second-largest economy to promote common development with countries in the region, Chinese analysts said on Monday.

A decision by the US government to force a company that is reportedly Chinese-linked to sell a property near a US Air Force base in the state of Wyoming is one more dramatic act in the "China threat" play, a Chinese observer said on Tuesday.

China and Russia could see further improvement in the bilateral trade structure in 2024, with the trade volume projected to reach new heights, a senior business head told the Global Times on Monday.

The US' reported plan to levy tariffs on imports from China's emerging industries and its commerce department's decision to add 37 Chinese entities in high-tech sectors are steps further down the path of clamping down on Chinese companies and decoupling with China, observers said on Friday, warning that there will be serious consequences.

Many localities in China have recently launched major investment projects for the second quarter, with a focus on new quality productive forces, and observers believe the trend will help stabilize overall investment in the period.

China's foreign exchange (forex) reserves totaled $3.201 trillion as of the end of April, down by $44.8 billion, or 1.38 percent, from the end of March, according to data released on Tuesday by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Recently, Western politicians and media outlets have amplified the notion of China's supposed "overcapacity" in the production of electric vehicles and other green products, asserting that it poses a threat to the global market. The Global Times is publishing a series of articles to examine the issue. This story focuses on how the Chinese electric vehicles (EV) industry draws its competitiveness from competition, debunking the groundless narrative that Chinese EV industry's strengths came from government subsidies.

Chinese analysts said Tesla's attraction to the fiercely competitive Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) market offered an example to the world about healthy business competition, as global cooperation is needed for the human race to implement green transition strategies and tackle climate challenge.

Industry insiders and company representatives at the ongoing Beijing International Automotive Exhibition emphasized the importance of global cooperation in the upcoming age of smart and intelligent vehicles, as more foreign companies announced plans to deepen cooperation with Chinese partners.

The recovery of China's cruise market accelerated on Friday with the return of another large foreign cruise ship to Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Port.

The development of new quality productive forces in the Chinese mainland is characterized by greater inclusiveness and a higher level of opening-up, which will provide new opportunities for Taiwan-based companies for their participation in the high-quality development of the mainland, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference on Wednesday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook's pledge to increase investment in Vietnam has drawn skeptical views from Chinese observers.

After exploring Southwest China's industrial city Chongqing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday arrived in Shanghai, an important city that has a large amount of accumulated German investment, and where he said that Europe is open to Chinese cars.

Following intensive visits to China by foreign CEOs in March, China has entered a week of international trade exhibitions. This highlights the potential of China's dynamic consumer market and the country's unswerving commitment to opening-up.

Since the beginning of 2024, a number of Western governments and media outlets have been hyping the so-called “overcapacity” of Chinese new-energy production, claiming it as a matter of great concern for them. By spinning the “overcapacity” narrative, the West has moved to apply trade restrictive measures on Chinese-made EVs, lithium batteries, solar products, in an attempt to protect its own uncompetitive industries, Chinese industry insiders said, noting that such overt schemes are detriment to global climate control efforts.

China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, rose by 0.1 percent in March year-on-year, dragged down by seasonal factors as consumer demand dropped after the Spring Festival holidays.

Japan should be wary in its semiconductor cooperation with the US, which is seeking hegemony, Chinese observers said on Wednesday. If it tries to hit China at the bidding of the US, Japan's industries risk being victimized, analysts noted.

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Wesley W. Simina is paying a visit to China with stops in South China's Guangdong Province on Saturday, visiting the manufacturing hub of Dongguan and tech hub of Shenzhen.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit China from April 4 to 9 and is scheduled to discuss a number of macroeconomic and financial issues between the two countries during her meetings with top Chinese government officials. The visit is seen as a positive sign by both sides to seek consensus amid stabilizing China-US relations that have seen growing negative factors in recent months.

Leading Chinese NEV brands posted better-than-expected sales for March, highlighting the sector's competitiveness despite headwinds, analysts noted.

The EU should seek cooperation with China on new-energy vehicles (NEVs) so as to tap the great complementarities between the two vital trading partners, rather than taking a protectionist path, Chinese observers said on Monday, commenting on the latest development of opinions on NEVs within the EU.

China urges the US to immediately correct its wrongdoings and stop its illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against Chinese companies, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a routine press conference on Friday, commenting on a reported list being drawn by the US commerce department barring Chinese chip factories from obtaining key tools.

Ensuring a stable and smooth global supply chain serves the interests of all, and is a responsibility that should be shared by all parties, including the US, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday, in response to comments made by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Chinese new-energy products.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte is on a working visit to China from Tuesday to Wednesday, at a time when the Netherlands' chip export policy has been in the spotlight. Chinese analysts pointed out that Rutte's visit is perfectly timed, as his country's largest company, the semiconductor equipment maker ASML, is seeking to expand outside the Netherlands after raising concerns about the country's business climate.

China has lodged a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute complaint over discriminatory subsidies on new-energy vehicles (NEVs) under the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The CEOs of some leading US semiconductor companies visited China this week to attend the China Development Forum (CDF) in Beijing, expressing their commitment to the Chinese market and willingness to pursue cooperation.

As China ramps up efforts to promote new quality productive forces, a group of Chinese and foreign officials as well as institutions which participated in the China Development Forum 2024 (CDF) on Sunday expressed their optimism about its development prospects, which feature artificial intelligence (AI), new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and other emerging industries.

China and Australia can further tap their economic complementarity while addressing existing trade disputes, Chinese analysts said on Wednesday, as the visit to Australia by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signified that bilateral relations are on the right track.

China's efforts to build a shared sci-tech innovation infrastructure will be conducive to the development of high-tech industries such as commercial aerospace, industry experts said on Tuesday, as the Beijing municipal government races to build a “Rocket Street” with a high concentration of private aerospace companies.

A number of the world's leading financial investors have upped the ante in their Chinese asset portfolios this week, with Chinese analysts said on Thursday that the moves highlighted efforts by the US government attempting to drive global investment away from China is not what profit-pursuing companies want and is failing in its effects.

Frequent diplomatic and trade exchanges between China and Australia are conducive to resolving lingering bilateral trade disputes, Chinese experts said on Monday, commenting on a steady pattern of recent dialogues.

As a US bill that could potentially ban the use of TikTok in the US sailed unanimously through a House Committee, Chinese experts said that the act is political gamesmanship by politicians playing the China-bashing card and yet another hysterical move in its crackdown against Chinese companies.

China's commercial aerospace enterprises were inspired as the Government Work Report vowed to step up the development of commercial spaceflight to foster new growth engines.

China and Pakistan share a strong and enduring friendship that dates back to the 1950s, and the China-Pakistan relationship is a shining example of strong bilateral ties based on mutual respect and shared interests. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is also a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that aims to enhance connectivity and trade between the two countries. How will the CPEC develop in the next decade? How does Pakistan envision the development of ties with China? Global Times reporters Xie Wenting and Chu Daye (GT) spoke with Pakistani Ambassador to China Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi (Hashmi) on these and other crucial matters.

A number of CPEC projects are making renewed progress as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enters its next phase, helping the country to alleviate energy shortage and empowering its economic growth.

China's first-tier economic heavyweight cities - 26 cities each with a GDP of more than 1 trillion yuan ($139.1 billion) in 2023 - have set their annual GDP targets a notch higher this year as localities conclude their local two sessions.

Some of China's economic heavyweight provinces started working on thousands of projects in the first week after the eight-day Spring Festival holidays, with an emphasis on new productive forces and broadening the channels for private investment.

Ports, trains and e-commerce depots in China's vibrant logistics links were up and running during the eight-day Chinese New Year holidays, with record work performances registered, demonstrating great supply chain resilience, even though most people in the world's second-largest economy were off work for the annual holidays.

Multiple Chinese ports reported increased throughput in January, marking a strong start for the year. As an important economic indicator, port operations showcase the robustness of China's production activity and foreign trade, and the ports play a significant role in maintaining the stability of the global supply chain, experts said.

Leading US fast food companies are posting stellar gains for 2023 on par with the fast growth of 20 percent seen in the Chinese catering industry, with earnings reports serving as a strong rebuttal to smears by some Western media outlets that suggest that the Chinese economy is in trouble.

The Chinese government vowed to further improve its business environment at a State Council meeting on Friday as the country started the new year with a slew of supportive policies aimed at stabilizing market confidence and expectations.

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday slammed a move by the US Defense Department to add a dozen Chinese companies to a blacklist on the excuse of prohibiting American technologies from aiding the Chinese military. The ministry urged the US to immediately correct its discriminatory practices and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises to operate in.

Efforts by some US politicians to raise tariffs on Chinese solar modules are just another case of campaign politics getting in the way of normal economic cooperation between China and the US, and would hurt the interests of US consumers and the development of the US clean-energy industry, Chinese analysts warned.

A Boeing 737 MAX flying from Seattle arrived at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in South China's Guangdong Province on Saturday, flight information provider VariFlight revealed on Saturday. Information shared with the Global Times showed that the plane, operating under the number CZ5073, has joined the China Southern Airlines fleet.

Fish were harvested out of a marine ranch off the coast of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving facility, run by Chinese oil giant CNOOC, on Thursday, in the latest example of harnessing "cold energy" generated from LNG's liquid-to-gas conversion.

China posted a GDP growth of 5.2 percent for 2023 on Wednesday, successfully meeting last year's annual target and in line with market forecast.

Following the successful maiden commercial voyage of the Adora Magic City, China's homegrown large cruise ship, a number of ports and cruise companies are bidding to restart the industry which had developed at record pace prior to the pandemic.

Chinese shipyards are busy producing a special type of vessel – known as a ro-ro – to match the nation's newfound strength in the emerging field of vehicle exports, industry insiders told the Global Times.

As the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) construction has brought tangible benefits to the people of Maldives, the Chinese business community on the island nation and Chinese experts said that the next decade will see more fruitful cooperation results, thanks to elevated ties between the two countries.

Australia and China stand a decent chance to expand bilateral trade in a number of emerging sectors including new-energy products and services trade, industry insiders said at a seminar held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and a city of ice and snow, gained instant fame in China as it made hospitality a hallmark of its tourism services. City officials have been busy receiving foreign delegations in recent days. Stakeholders and experts said that the priceless popularity the city garnered could serve as a calling card in its efforts to attract foreign investors and become a gateway of opening-up to the north.

The US government is sacrificing the interests of US semiconductor companies on the altar of its China-containment strategy with its hegemonic and bullying practices that have seriously disrupted global semiconductor industry and supply chains, Chinese analysts said on Monday, over the reported trouble faced by California-based US graphics processing unit (GPU) giant Nvidia in its downgraded offerings to Chinese customers.

A project involving cloned super cows to ramp up dairy output is making progress in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a scientist with the Northwest A&F University told the Global Times on Saturday.

Chinese investment in Thailand is set to remain at a high level, reflecting a host of positive factors, after China became Thailand's largest foreign investor in 2023, Chinese and Thai analysts said on Wednesday.

A recent move by the US to push the Netherlands to put fresh limitations on chipmaking machine exports to China was strongly opposed by China. Chinese experts said on Tuesday that the latest curb is more of a probing nature than one causing actual harm, as China has consolidated its position to face off the technology containment by the US.

Despite a less-than-expected booster effect from a loosened visa policy, Chinese tourists are arriving at Russia's snow-clad cities en masse and the number is likely to surpass 1 million this year, people familiar with the situation told the Global Times on Thursday.

The Fangdong Railway, which links Fangchenggang and Dongxing in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will become operational on Wednesday, connecting Dongxing city at the China-Vietnam border to China's national railway network, the state railway operator said on Tuesday.

Use of the Chinese yuan jumped to 4.61 percent of global payments in November, becoming the fourth most active currency for the first time since January 2022 and surpassing the Japanese yen, according to data from global payment services provider Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) on Thursday （EU time）.

As attacks on ships along the key Red Sea shipping route continue to affect global maritime commerce, some Chinese exporters are shifting to China-Europe Railway Express services to ensure timely delivery of their goods and avoid staggering operational costs if they navigate around the Cape of Good Hope.

Editor's Note: Launching “cognitive warfare" against China is an important means for Western anti-China forces to attack and discredit the country in 2023. Some politicians and media outlets in the West have publicly smearing China's image by propagating narratives including "China's economy collapse theory" in an attempt to incite and provoke dissatisfaction with China. This article is one of a series looking back at China's economic work this year and reveal the intrigues of the US-led West's “cognitive warfare” targeting China.

The Central Economic Work Conference, which has set the tone for economic policymaking in 2024, called for high-level opening-up, consolidating the overall performance of foreign trade and foreign investment, and further promoting the development of the private sector, according to a readout of the key conference following its conclusion on Tuesday.

At a key economic conference that concluded on Tuesday, top Chinese policymakers had outlined a slew of measures to tackle various challenges facing the Chinese economy, further promote and consolidate economic recovery and ensure effective improvement in quality and reasonable growth in quantity in 2024.

As Christmas draws near, Americans have taken to social media to complain about rising prices.

China's consumer prices and factory prices fell in November, mainly due to lower commodity prices. However, despite foreign media hype that saw the readings as fresh proof of the Chinese economy facing trouble, Chinese economists said the outlook remains optimistic as more support policies materialize, prompting a further consumption recovery.

China and Singapore signed 24 memorandums of understanding on cooperation on Thursday, including a bilateral visa-free policy and the upgraded version of the China-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA), during Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong's visit to China.

The visit to China by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance of the Republic of Singapore Lawrence Wong is set to infuse new ideas into the close partnership enjoyed by the two countries, which elevated their bilateral relations into an all-round, high-quality future-oriented partnership in March, Chinese analysts said on Wednesday.

China will fully safeguard the stable operation of the financial market, enhance monitoring of the trading of stocks and capital flows, and build up a risk assessment and early warning system, Yi Huiman, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency published on Monday.

The China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline project has transported more than 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas in the past four years of operation, PipeChina announced over the weekend. The rising volume of natural gas being sent to China attests to deepening bilateral energy cooperation, experts said on Sunday.

The Sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's biggest import fair, wraps up in Shanghai on Friday. The fair, returning in full force since the pandemic for the first time, saw tentative deals worth $78.41 signed, 6.74 percent higher than 2022's figure, demonstrating China's vital role in the international market and its unswerving determination to open up its market and share the benefits of its growth with the rest of the world, Chinese analysts said.

A Serbian official holds the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in high regard, of which Serbia joined in 2015, at the ongoing 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE).

China provides great opportunities and a vast market for US enterprises, and China and the US cannot "decouple" in the economic and trade area, a number of US businesses attending the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) told the Global Times.

Representatives of major Australian exporters participating in the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's largest import-themed expo, expressed high hopes for bilateral trade, following Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to China this week. They emphasized the importance of trade with China, which features strong complementarity.

On November 4, one day before the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), China's first domestically built large cruise ship, christened the "Adora Magic City," was formally delivered. The ship is seen as a symbol of China-Italy cooperation. In an exclusive interview with Global Times reporter Chu Daye (GT), Mario Boselli (Boselli), president of the Italy China Council Foundation (ICCF), said Italy should be the gateway for China to Europe.

Representatives of New Zealand companies attending the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's largest import-themed expo, are impressed by the dynamism and vitality on display as well as Chinese consumers' strong spending power.

As the world reopens to in-person exhibitions after the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai has garnered over 41,000 attendees, marking a significant milestone.

Foreign businesspeople who eye China's huge market potential are taking advantage of the rapidly rising livestreaming and e-commerce sectors, with Chiranjaya Udumullage, president of the China Sri Lanka Association for Trade and Economic Cooperation, being one of them. Through livestreaming, Udumullage can introduce his country's local products to more Chinese consumers, he told the Global Times at the ongoing 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Monday.

The 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) is currently in full swing in Shanghai, with almost all of the world's top chip manufacturers showcasing their cutting-edge products at the fair, including those from the US. Despite Washington's restrictions on China's chip industry, these companies are determined to use this exceptional opportunity to expand their presence in the colossal market.

"Your visit can be described as carrying on the past and opening up the future," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Monday afternoon, citing the fact that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the trip by Gough Whitlam, the first Australian leader to visit China.

The number of intended business meetings with potential clients at the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's biggest import fair, was more than double the expected level, a trade official from the US state of Georgia told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday.

Chinese logistics companies are firing on all cylinders amid the ongoing Double 11 sales festival, the world's largest shopping carnival.

Promoting rural revitalization has brought great changes to China's countryside and generated new opportunities in Chinese rural market. Among the many entities involved in the drive, some French companies are jumping to the bandwagon too.

As preparations for the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) enter the final stage this week, companies and representatives attending the expo expressed their enthusiasm and confidence that the event will offer a gateway for them to explore and expand their business in China.

China International Import Expo (CIIE)'s vision of shared future chimes with ASML's pursuit of open cooperation, the Netherlands' chip-making equipment giant's China President told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, as the CIIE is scheduled to open on November 5 in Shanghai.

Headed by vice-ministerial level finance officials, the two sides held in-depth, frank and constructive communication over macroeconomic situation and policy of both countries and the world, bilateral economic ties and cooperation to tackle global challenges, the finance ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday.

Colombian companies hope for more market share for a wide range of agricultural products, such as beef, avocados, bananas, flowers and chocolates in the Chinese market. They also hope Chinese companies can find more investment opportunities, a Colombian trade official told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday, before the Colombian president's state visit to China.

A number of landmark cooperation deals between Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers and their partners in ASEAN countries were announced recently, which happened as the EU turned toward protectionism with its anti-subsidy probe of Chinese EVs.

Chinese companies have launched contingency measures as the tension between Israel and Palestine continues, suspending ongoing work and projects, assembling staff at safe places and stocking up on food and medical supplies while keeping an eye on how the situation develops, the Global Times learned from company sources on Tuesday.

China will further pursue high-level opening-up in the services sector and will shorten the negative list for investment in the country's free trade zones (FTZs). The country will also strive to roll out a negative list for cross border services trade, a vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML started its 2024 campus recruitment program in China on Tuesday, with key positions related to scanners, e-beams and computational lithography.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of high-quality development in promoting new industrialization to lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization.

The 10th China-EU High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue will be held on September 25 in Beijing, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. Chinese observers said the restart of the vital and proven mechanism in the in-person format offers a litmus test for China and the EU to work out their differences through dialogue.

A wave of tourists and a marked rise in sporting goods orders have arrived in Hangzhou, as preparations for the 19th Asian Games enter the final phase.

China on Friday posted better-than-expected economic data in August, as the world's second-largest economy continues to recover, after policymakers took a series of vigorous but targeted measures to tackle challenges and downward pressure.

The anti-subsidy investigation launched by the EU into Chinese electric vehicles imports is biased, and showed a protectionist tendency, Chinese experts and industry insiders said on Wednesday.

As a plan to boost national currency settlement among member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gained attention at the eighth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), and the topic of de-dollarization was closely watched, Chinese observers following the meeting said that progress has been made in cutting reliance on the greenback, but the process will be a long one.

Argentina's Ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja is hoping for increased cooperation between Argentina and China, with a focus on exploring opportunities in sports to enhance bilateral trade.

As President Alberto Fernández is scheduled to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing this October, Global Times reporters interviewed Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja on the latest development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and its implications for the world amid geopolitical challenges.

Chinese observers and experts said that major outcomes involving China-Russia cooperation may emerge from the eighth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), a major Russian platform for promoting global and regional cooperation. The forum kicked off on Sunday in Vladivostok, Russia.

China's commitment to deepening cooperation on services trade and digital trade with Belt and Road partner countries at the 2023 edition of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has garnered special attention from Argentina. Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja told the Global Times on Saturday that bilateral cooperation in trade in services will deepen and lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.

Some Western media outlets have been churning out a flurry of vociferous columns bad-mouthing and smearing the Chinese economy, with increasingly gloomy and scary headlines. However, the dire prediction about the Chinese economy is only imagination and propaganda of some Western politicians and media outlets to distract their domestic audiences from domestic issues while discouraging other countries from cooperating with China out of fear that the world's second-largest economy may become No.1, experts said.

Global cooperation in jointly building the Health Silk Road is becoming a new growth point for Belt and Road countries with great potential to develop, officials and experts said at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) which concluded in Beijing on Wednesday.

Foreign company executives, industry players and experts attending the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the world's largest services trade fair, are saying that decoupling is bad for the global economy, and that China's relationship with the rest of the world is one that is "symbiotic." They urged joint efforts in strengthening the bonds of mutually beneficial relations, rather than weakening them.

Latin American countries are seizing opportunities at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the world's largest services trade fair, to promote win-win cooperation to add new growth drivers to the fast-developing economic and trade relationship.

The fast-growing services sector will provide new growth impetus to China, underpinning the world's second-largest economy amid downward pressure, said industry insiders and experts while attending the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

The participation by foreign companies and the large number of deals announced at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), one of the world's largest services trade fairs, showcased the attractiveness of China's services sector and defied Western media hype that the Chinese economy faces a gloomy future, Chinese analysts and observers said on Sunday.

There will be no “massive rewinding” of trade and investment internationalization, a senior Italian trade representative said at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) over the weekend in Beijing, as Italian foreign minister kicks off a visit to China.

China will share the achievements of the Chinese modernization drive while making joint efforts with the rest of the world to get the global economy onto a track of sustained recovery, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video link on Saturday in Beijing.

An executive at China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) told the Global Times on Wednesday that the company is optimistic about the new port complex project at Sri Lanka's Colombo Port.

Russian companies from Moscow are eyeing the vast potential of the Chinese market by establishing more outlets in the Chinese economic hub of Shanghai, a city trade official told the Global Times on Monday.

Fifty innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were listed on a specialized board for trading in Beijing on Thursday, supporting the innovative sectors of the economy as China rolls out measures to invigorate the capital market.

A number of A-share listed companies have in recent days announced buyback plans, a move that Chinese analysts said could help stabilize the domestic stock market, which is at its lowest point since January.

​A number of exhibitions and trade shows to be held in the second half of this year are expected to inject confidence and stability into the Chinese market, analysts said on Tuesday.

China's retail sales in July grew by 2.5 percent year-on-year, remaining on a recovery track but at a slower pace, official data released on Tuesday showed. Although the reading was weaker than expected, the consumption sector is set to stage a further rebound in the second half as consumer confidence improves and support policies kick in, officials and experts noted.

China on Tuesday released a batch of economic data for July, including industrial output and retail sales, which highlighted persistent downward pressure even as the Chinese economy continues on a recovery trend from the three-year COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese port operators are banking on technology investment and better services to improve their efficiency against stiff headwinds in global trade, and their resilience could serve them well when conditions improve, port operators and industry insiders told the Global Times.

Foreign companies are placing bigger bets on China, which is striving to improve its business environment and supply chain strength, contradicting Western media claims of a supply chain exodus.

With China's experience in economic development and the support from local residents, Pakistan's Gwadar region will become a prosperous city under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a window on Chinese way of modernization. It will be remembered as one of the flagship projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the builder of the Port of Gwadar told the Global Times.

An overwhelming number of surveyed foreign companies hold a satisfactory view of China's business environment during the second quarter, a fresh survey conducted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) showed on Friday, confirming foreign companies' confidence and willingness to expand in the Chinese market, amid "crackdown" hypes by some foreign media outlets.

The Linglong One, a multi-functional small modular and pressurized-water nuclear reactor (SMR), will be ready for operation in South China's Hainan Province by the end of 2025, almost five months ahead of schedule, according to its builder, as China expands its nuclear power generation capacity on the path to green development.

Foreign envoys said that they are impressed by China's railway technology and the great achievements, commenting while on a tour to inspect infrastructure giant China Railway Group (CREC) on Tuesday.

The People's Bank of China (PBC), the central bank, plans to introduce a set of data rating system and manage data accordingly to ensure targeted and differentiated data security management amid growing global cooperation as well as competition, according to a draft proposal released by the bank on Monday.

China has added one-third of its total known uranium resources, accumulated in the past 68 years, during extensive survey and exploration work during the past 10 years, while 70 percent of the newly discovered resources are fine, extractable resources, according to an industry report published on Friday by the China Nuclear Geology, a subsidiary of Chinese nuclear giant China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

Officials from China's top economic planner reaffirmed the good recovery momentum of the Chinese economy on Tuesday, one day after key economic data was published on Monday, injecting a confidence booster to market entities amid the "slowdown" hype by Western media.

The world's first liquid oxygen, liquid methane carrier rocket blasted off on Wednesday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province, taking a sample payload into orbit.

Attendees to the World Economic Forum's 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), also known as the Summer Davos forum, in North China's Tianjin have noted China's driving role in fostering the world's green transition.