China's new-energy vehicle (NEV) market experienced a seasonal sales dip in February, but robust export growth provided a crucial stabilizing force, underscoring the industry's resilience amid domestic market fluctuations, an industry observer said.

Provinces and cities across China have kick-started a new round of major projects after the Spring Festival holiday, with investments flowing into clean energy, technology and public welfare - a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), analysts say.

The drone operations system project for oilfields in the Beibu Gulf, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was officially launched over the weekend, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The standoff between the US administration and artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic has sparked widespread discussions within the US tech sector. Chinese experts said that the situation lays bare the chaos in the US' technology governance as the company suddenly went from labeling others a national security threat to being designated a supply chain risk itself.

When you hail a taxi during the bustling Chinese New Year holiday in Shenzhen, a tech and innovation hub in South China's Guangdong Province, you might find that your taxi is driverless. Passengers were able to travel without fare surge or service disruptions.

When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz entered the Unitree Robotics exhibition hall in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Thursday afternoon, he saw a series of constantly changing scenes. In the center of the stage, a humanoid robot performed a set of Chinese kung fu "Drunken Fist"; on the boxing ring, two robots demonstrated a sparring match. Beside the assembly line, humanoid robots were completing sorting tasks.

Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings (CKHH) expressed strong disagreement in a new announcement on Thursday after the Panamanian government on Monday issued a decree ordering the occupation of two ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal.

China has been a very relevant market for products and services for decades, be it Made in Germany or locally, and now, China is growing increasingly important for German companies as a hub for innovation, research and development and advanced manufacturing, said Executive Director & Board Member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China-North China Oliver Oehms, in an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Wednesday.

The provincial government of South China's Hainan on Tuesday issued an action plan to promote an "AI Plus" initiative from 2026 to 2028, proposing to apply artificial intelligence in the island province's aerospace sector and build a "super brain" for the emerging rocket industrial cluster there.

Chinese humanoid robot company Unitree released a video on its official WeChat account on Monday, showing 49 G1 humanoid robots performing a synchronized martial arts demonstration in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

When asked to comment on the US Supreme Court's ruling that multiple tariffs imposed by the US government were unlawful, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday that China has consistently opposed unilateral tariff increases in all forms.

China's much-anticipated Seedance 2.0, the latest AI video model developed by ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, made its debut at the nationwide program since its recent launch, contributing to the production of visual content for several segments of China's 2026 Spring Festival Gala as the show lit up screens across the country and beyond.

With red plush horses stamped with the slogan "wishing you instant wealth" appearing on backpack zippers, Chinese youngsters rushing to snap up the limited-edition "full horsepower" blind box series that capture their Chinese New Year aspirations, and the "crying horse" meme dolls going viral on Chinese social media, the rich offerings in zodiac-related cultural products have been spurring a new consumption spree across China as the Year of the Horse approaches.

In response to media inquiries on Wednesday's ruling by the Amsterdam Enterprise Chamber to launch an investigation into Nexperia over alleged mismanagement, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday that China has taken note of the relevant information.

In response to the recent preventive recall of certain Nestlé infant formula products due to the detection of cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, China's State Council Food Safety Office and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) attached great importance to the matter and have urged Nestlé China Co to complete the recall of the specific batches sold in the Chinese mainland, according to the statement released by the SAMR on Thursday.

When asked to comment on French Ministry of Agriculture and Food's allegations that a Chinese company was involved in contaminated milk powder, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that he was not aware of the specific situation mentioned, emphasizing that the Chinese government attaches great importance to food safety and will continue to take measures to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests.

Chinese tech giant ByteDance on Thursday officially launched its artificial intelligent (AI) video generation model Seedance 2.0 after several days of beta test, fully integrating the model into its Doubao and Dreamina AI product lines, while introducing restrictions on the upload of real-person images and videos.

Chinese carmaker BYD surpassed the US' Ford Motor Co in global vehicle sales last year, moving ahead of the US automaker in the worldwide rankings for the first time, according to a media report on Wednesday. The development is not surprising amid Chinese carmakers' steady rise in the global auto market, a Chinese expert said.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) has stressed the importance of establishing clear and impartial procedures for the EU to handle price undertaking proposals from electric vehicle (EV) companies, and called for fair treatment to Chinese companies in future assessments.

Chinese tech giant ByteDance's newly unveiled video-generation model Seedance 2.0 has sparked widespread discussions on social media at home and abroad, with many users praising its powerful video-generation capabilities, and others highlighting China's rapid rise in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race.

South Korean enterprises have ramped up efforts to further explore the Chinese market in the new year, marking closer bilateral trade and economic cooperation after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung paid a visit to China in January.

China's domestically developed Snow Leopard 6×6 wheeled vehicle has completed more than 10,000 kilometers of testing and validation missions in the Antarctic interior, filling a long-standing technological gap in China's polar-land wheeled vehicles, state broadcaster CCTV News reported on Tuesday.

When taking selfies, users are often frustrated by insufficient lighting. In China, a developer named Chen Yunfei acutely sensed this demand among users and completed an initial version of an app called CatLight in around an hour thanks to artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted coding.

The office of the inter-ministerial joint conference on coordinated regulation of new transportation business models has recently summoned Amap's ride-hailing platform, and demanded it to honor commitments to lower commission rates, strengthen oversight of partner platforms, and improve drivers' working conditions, according to the official WeChat account of China's Ministry of Transport.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said artificial intelligence (AI) computing power and energy supply will become the biggest challenges to technological development, noting that China would "utterly dominate" sectors such as AI, electric vehicles and humanoid robotics in the "absence of breakthrough innovations" in the US.

In a sports equipment factory in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, workers delayed their journey home for Spring Festival by two full weeks to make soccer balls amid surging overseas orders.

While the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off on Friday local time, Chinese companies quietly emerged as a major force behind the scenes. From ultra-light carbon-fiber ski poles to cloud service provider empowering the "smartest Games ever," together with artificial intelligence (AI) model improving service, China's cutting-edge tech and robust supply chains are delivering standout performance, the Global Times learned from products and services providers.

On Tuesday, a shipment of Chinese-made power generator sets worth more than 100 million yuan ($14.4 million) departed Ningbo Zhoushan Port and other ports in East China's Zhejiang Province, bound for Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other partner countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer AutoFlight on Thursday unveiled the world's first 5-ton-class eVTOL capable of carrying 10 passengers — the V5000 Matrix — completing a demonstration flight in Kunshan, East China's Jiangsu Province, the company told the Global Times.

China's generative artificial intelligence (AI) users had reached 602 million by December 2025, marking a surge of 141.7 percent year-on-year, according to an industry report released on Thursday, underscoring the rapid integration of generative AI into daily life and production activities, and is increasingly becoming a key engine driving China's digital and intelligent transformation.

Offshore duty-free sales in South China's Hainan Province reached 4.53 billion yuan ($652.54 million) in January, up 44.8 percent year on year, data from Haikou customs showed on Thursday. The surge comes as policy dividends continue to unfold following the launch of island-wide special customs operations on December 18, 2025.

A new poll conducted by North American market research company Leger showed that most Canadians support allowing more Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) to be sold in Canada, according to the Canadian Press on Wednesday. A Chinese expert said on Thursday that the results reflected broad public support for the Canadian government's recent adjustment in its policy toward China, and Canadian consumers want more cost-effective Chinese EVs.

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Wednesday criticized the European side's recent move to investigate a Chinese wind power company as discriminatory, vowing to take necessary measures to safeguard the legal interests of Chinese firms.

Last year's Spring Festival Gala left an indelible impression: the fluid, captivating dance of Unitree's quadruped robots. In 2026, humanoid robots from four leading Chinese companies will reportedly share the spotlight. Over the past year, robots have rapidly expanded their presence beyond laboratories. They have graced concert stages, completed full marathon distances, entered classrooms alongside students, and taken their place on factory production lines. Each appearance marks another step in their real-world learning and adaptation. These graphics illustrate how China's robotics industry relies on its advantages in technology, application, and industrialization to not only drive domestic innovation, but also help the global industry reach new heights.

When asked to comment on the EU's announcement of an investigation into Chinese wind power company Goldwind over allegations that the company has benefited from government subsidies and distorted competition in the EU market, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday referred the specific question to competent Chinese authorities and stressed that China is determined to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

CK Hutchison Holdings, controlled by Li Ka-shing, on Wednesday issued a voluntary announcement saying its board strongly opposes a Panamanian court ruling and related government actions, adding that Panama Ports Company (PPC) will actively and resolutely pursue arbitration against the Panamanian government.

UK businesses are actively discussing new investment opportunities in China, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is paying a visit. Several cooperation agreements have already been reached or in talk, the Global Times learned from corporate representatives at the China-UK Business Forum held in Beijing on Friday.

John Moolenaar, chair of a US House of Representatives committee on China, is reportedly scrutinizing US automaker Ford Motor's decision to widen its partnership with Chinese battery giant CATL to produce energy storage batteries, demanding an explanation to the nature with CATL's cooperation while claiming China poses "a serious threat" to US supply chain independence and economic security. A Chinese car industry expert said cooperation with the globally leading battery giant is the best choice commercially for Ford, while US politicians' unreasonable move to disrupt normal business cooperation between US and Chinese companies in the EV and battery field will impact America's electrification trajectory.

The UK-based multinational, science-led biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Thursday announced $15 billion investment in China through 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development, the Global Times learned from a press release that the company shared with the Global Times on Thursday.

A spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday that Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's recent visit to China was successful and the two sides achieved a series of pragmatic outcomes in economic and trade cooperation.

In response to media inquiry regarding TikTok's recent official announcement of the formation of a US joint venture and the localization of its algorithm, whether the Chinese side will allow TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to grant an algorithm localization license to the US joint venture, He Yongqian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce, said at a regular press conference on Thursday that the Chinese side has already elaborated its principles and position over the matter.

British companies see strong prospects for future activity with the China market, highlighting a score of cooperation sectors where businesses from two sides are highly complementary, Tom Simpson, managing director of China Operations and China chief representative of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

In another move that was viewed by analysts as reducing overreliance on US and seeking diversification of foreign relations, Canadian Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney on Tuesday (local time) denied US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's claim that he has walked back the comments he made in Davos, Switzerland, in his phone conversation with US President Donald Trump. “I meant what I said,” Carney said, while noting that almost nothing was normal in the US, according to a video posted by CBC News.

Li Hongyu, the 25-year-old Beijing white-collar worker, kicked off her Monday night routine with a cozy crochet session. Her nimble fingers moved swiftly between the hook and yarn, weaving one stitch at a time. In just a short while, an adorable little plushie sprang to life right in her hands.

German companies' investment in China reached a four-year high from January to November 2025, according to data compiled by Reuters, as Chinese experts said rising US protectionism and mounting geopolitical pressures have eroded German and European investors' confidence in the US market, prompting part of the capital to shift toward China.

Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics announced on Monday that it has become a robot cooperation partner for China Media Group's (CMG) Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Horse, marking its third collaboration with the gala, following a robot ox performance in 2021 and a humanoid robot yangko dance show at the 2025 event, according to its social media post.

In China, the family is not regarded as an isolated private sphere. It is widely understood as the social foundation upon which national stability, cohesion and long-term development are built.

When answering a query that John Moolenaar, chairman of the US House Select Committee on China, claimed his trip to Panama and other Central American countries was aimed to counter China's “coercion, pressure and interference” in the region, counter China's influence, and compete with China in areas such as port operations of the Panama Canal and other economic and trade security issues, following the release of US National Security Strategy last month and its stepping up engagement in the Western Hemisphere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China firmly opposes certain US politicians pointing fingers at normal exchanges between Central American countries and China, noting that such remarks are outright lies and fallacies, reflecting nothing more than their own ideological bias and Cold War mentality.

Currently, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is developing rapidly, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a strategic technology which shapes the future. The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development stated that the “AI Plus Initiative” should be advanced comprehensively. How is AI being translated into real industrial capacity and long-term economic upgrading in China? The Global Times launches a new column called “AI in Action” to focus on the industrial transformation.

A Chinese robotics company put its automated production line for robot joints into operation on Sunday, marking a key leap for the embodied artificial intelligence (AI) industry to progress from technology research and development (R&D) to large-scale manufacturing, according to a post on the WeChat account of Shanghai's Pudong local district government on Sunday.

Beijing has set its annual GDP growth target at a rate between 4.5 and 5 percent for the next five years, starting this year, with ramped-up efforts to strive for even better results, according to the city's drafted 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for economic and social development released on Sunday, the Beijing News reported on Sunday.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was spotted by many local residents after arriving in Shanghai on Friday, according to ThePaper.cn, as the US chip giant faces fierce competition from local rivals. Chinese experts said Huang's visit is aimed at projecting a “China-friendly” image and boosting morale among local employees, while also seeking to engage Chinese authorities and key clients in an effort to secure large buyers capable of making prompt payments for H200 chips.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a roundtable for British enterprises on Thursday, during which the participating businesses interacted with the corresponding Chinese government officials, according to the MOFCOM on Friday.

Asked by foreign media for comment after TikTok announced on Friday that it has established TikTok US Data Security (USDS) Joint Venture LLC, with the joint venture responsible for data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software safeguards for TikTok in the US, and the US President welcomed the move on social media and thanked the Chinese side for approving the agreement, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on Friday that the question should be directed to the competent Chinese authorities. China's position on TikTok has been consistent and clear, he said.

Social media platform TikTok announced on Friday that the new TikTok US Data Security (USDS) Joint Venture LLC has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by the US president on September 25, 2025, and it is now enabling more than 200 million Americans and 7.5 million businesses to continue to discover, create, and thrive as part of TikTok's vibrant global community and experience, according to the statement published on the official website of the social media company.

The estimated output value of China's artificial intelligence (AI) industry last year exceeds 1.2 trillion yuan ($172 billion), and the number of AI-related companies in China has outpaced 6,000, Zhang Yunming, Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

In response to a question regarding French President Emmanuel Macron's address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 on Tuesday in Davos, Switzerland, in which he said that "China is welcome, but what we need is more Chinese foreign direct investments in Europe, in some key sectors,” China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday that the essence of China-EU economic and trade relations lies in complementary advantages and mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

The first high-grade iron ore from the Simandou block 3 and 4 mines in Guinea arrived at Rizhao Port in East China's Shandong Province on Wednesday, after the shipment departed Moribaya port in early December, according to a press release that Rio Tinto provided to the Global Times on Wednesday.

China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment held a New Year reception party in Beijing on Monday, drawing more than 300 representatives from foreign embassies, chambers and businesses, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Wednesday.

The number of promising “gazelle enterprises” in China reached 278 in 2025, up 8 percent year-on-year. And the country ranks the second in terms of the number of gazelles last year, trailing the US, according to a report the Hurun Research Institute sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

China completed a total of 50 commercial space launches in 2025, accounting for 54 percent of the country's overall space launch missions, as the sector has maintained rapid growth last year, China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Tuesday.

The German government is reportedly set to open its 3-billion-euro electric vehicle (EV) subsidy program, launched in autumn 2025, to all manufacturers, including Chinese carmakers. A Chinese industry expert noted that Germany's proactive stance could have a demonstration effect in the EU, eventually helping build a consensus in favor of cooperation over protectionism.

Editor's Note: Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on January 19 showed that, based on preliminary calculations, China's GDP in 2025 exceeded 140 trillion yuan, reaching 140.1879 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 5.0 percent at constant prices. China's economy has remained stable, continuing to serve as a key engine of the global growth. For years, China has contributed around 30 percent to the global economic expansion. Backed by a solid economic foundation, the world's second-largest economy has shown strong resilience and sustained growth potential.

Tourist arrivals to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2025 rose 12 percent year-on-year to reach 49.9 million, and the Chinese mainland account for 76 percent of total tourists, local media outlet Sing Tao Daily reported on Monday, citing the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Chinese battery materials maker Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology Co, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, plunged 8.57 percent to 34.15 yuan ($4.9) per share in the morning session on Monday after the securities regulator lunched a probe into the company over misleading statements related to a major business contract.

South China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the world's largest FTP, reported smooth and orderly operations during the first month of island-wide special customs operations, as the latest data showed the number of newly registered foreign trade enterprises in Hainan rose to 5,132, underscoring the strong growth potential of the FTP.

Chinese private space firm Galactic Energy told the Global Times that its new CERES-2 rocket conducted a maiden flight on Saturday, but an anomaly occurred and the mission ended in failure.

At 11:25 pm on Tuesday, a Long March-8A carrier rocket lifted off from China's Hainan commercial space launch site, sent the payload — the 18th group of low-orbit internet satellites — into preset orbits, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese commercial space firm Galactic Energy successfully carried out a sea-based launch of its CERES-1 carrier rocket at 4:10 am on Friday, sending four satellites into orbit in China's first sea-based launch in the new year.

Chinese large language model startup StepFun's speech model Step-Audio R1.1 (Realtime) ranked first globally in the Speech Reasoning category with an accuracy rate of 96.4 percent, according to data from industry benchmarking platform Artificial Analysis.

In 2025, the logistics sector is no longer the "invisible backbone" of the global economy, but a tangible driver of growth and innovation: according to the latest estimates, the global logistics market exceeds $10 trillion, driven by the expansion of e-commerce, port automation, and the digitization of supply chains. The data shows that demand for intercontinental transport, 4PL (fourth-party logistics) services, and strategic hubs is growing steadily, reflecting the centrality of a constantly evolving infrastructure. In this dynamic scenario, companies with a century-old heritage such as Savino Del Bene are becoming symbols of "glocal" logistics: deeply rooted in Italian communities but with a global impact.

According to a recent ranking of the world's 20 most important airports in terms of tonnage handled, eight are located in Asia, including four in China, with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Shanghai at the top of the list. In addition to this snapshot, there are numerous Chinese hubs that are driving the growth of air transport for e-commerce.

South Korea's seafood exports hit a record high in 2025, with shipments to China posting double-digit growth and emerging as a key driver of the overall expansion, a trend unfolding amid improving China-South Korea economic ties and broader global trade uncertainty.

The People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, on Thursday unveiled a raft of support measures, including a cut in interest rates on all structural monetary policy tools and raising the quota of re-lending for tech innovation and tech transformation, as the central bank stepped up counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments to fuel a good start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

From the Lantern, the symbol of Genoa, Italy, to the East, RINA continues to export skills and vision. The Genoa-based group, which started as a ship classification society and is now a global player in engineering, certification, and consulting, has built a solid and multi-level presence in China, which has become one of the key platforms of its international strategy over the years.

When asked for comment by Japanese media about export license review for rare earths, including civilian-use shipments, being suspended for Japan, and some Japanese firms having reportedly been told new rare-earth transactions will not proceed, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) spokesperson He Yongqian said China's export control to Japan is only for military users and any other end users or purposes that contribute to enhancing Japan's military capabilities.

The Beijing "Rocket Street" project has been completed, entering the handover and commissioning phase, according to a post by the Beijing Economic Technological Development Area (Beijing E-Town) seen on its WeChat account on Thursday.

China's green exports to the EU has soared in 2025, with the exports of wind power generators leaping by 65.9 percent year-on-year, showing great potential for bilateral cooperation, an official with China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Wednesday.

The export restrictions on high-tech products by certain countries to China have "politicized economic and trade issues," limiting China's potential import volume, an official with the General Administration of Customs (GAC), said at a press conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Asked to comment on foreign media reports that the US and Taiwan island are nearing a trade deal under which TSMC would further invest in the US by building at least five more chip plants, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said on Wednesday that the so-called agreement is economic plunder imposed by Washington through high tariffs, noting that DPP authorities treat the Island's core technological advantages as a tribute to curry favor with external powers, 'kneeling before even starting negotiations' on tariffs, and 'offering the right cheek after slapping on the left' under economic coercion, will ultimately destroy Taiwan's economic prospects and harm the long-term interests of Taiwan people.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Tuesday hailed the "soft landing" reached between China and the EU in consultations over electric vehicles (EVs), saying the outcome will have a positive impact on the development of bilateral relations, according to an article published by CAAM on its official WeChat account on Tuesday.

Editor's Note: High-end ingredients that were once largely imported are now made in China and gradually moving from China into global markets. Meanwhile, as trade and economic cooperation deepens, distinctive foods from around the world are entering China at an accelerating pace and winning growing favor among consumers. "Chinese flavors" are increasingly becoming an active presence on the global consumption stage, while China's dining table draws cuisines from across the world. This two-way flow across mountains and oceans is not merely a meeting of tastes between China and the world, but also a vivid illustration of how China's vast market is sharing development opportunities globally. This is the first installment of the series.

According to the website of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), multiple Chinese aerospace companies submitted applications for more than 200,000 satellite frequencies during the final week of 2025, the Securities Times reported, further reflecting Chinese companies' determination and strategic planning in developing the commercial aerospace industry.

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up MiniMax saw its shares soar on their Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) debut on Friday, with morning trading hitting 79.15 percent rise at the highest, underscoring strong investor enthusiasm bolstered by robust backing from major global institutions.

Chinese auto enterprises continued to expand overseas in 2025, while actively integrating into local supply and production chains in the new year, with BYD, China's leading new-energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, serving as the latest example, as the company reportedly became the fastest-growing Chinese brand in Ecuador last year with its pure electric cars.

Two large Chinese oil companies, China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) and China National Aviation Fuel Petroleum Co (CNAFLP Corp), will be merged, as their restructuring plan is approved by the State Council, according to a statement seen on the website of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council on Thursday.

The Chinese market offers tremendous opportunity for Irish businesses, and although competition is intense, it could help companies become stronger and more capable, Tadhg O'Callaghan, China Director, Enterprise Ireland, who is also the Commercial Counselor, said in an interview with the Global Times.

Foreign-funded enterprises are making successive moves in the Chinese market as the new year begins, with many increasing their investments or having new facilities in the planning stage. Amid China's rapid industrial upgrading and the robust development of new quality productive forces, multinationals are increasingly pivoting toward high-tech sectors and premium services, while China's vast open market continues to offer opportunities for the world, analysts said.

A worker produces nets at a workshop in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, on January 6, 2026. Local factories have been bustling for several days at the beginning of the new year to ensure a strong start. In December, the nationwide Purchasing Managers Index for the manufacturing sector rose 0.9 from the previous month to 50.1, returning to expansion territory. Photo: VCG

Chinese A shares rallied strongly after the New Year Day holiday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rising 1.5 percent to hover above 4,083.67 points on Tuesday, the highest level in a decade. The spectacular rally reflects growing confidence from China's strong economic fundamentals, an analyst said.

China announced on Tuesday the decision to strengthen export controls on dual-use items destined for Japan, in accordance with the relevant provisions of laws and regulations including the Export Control Law of China. The announcement takes immediate effect. The decision was made in order to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, said China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday.

Japan's carmaker Honda Motor confirmed with the Global Times on Monday that it will extend a production halt at three car plants in China by two weeks due to a semiconductor shortage, saying the units affected by the short-term adjustment is relatively controllable and expecting no impact on product delivery to customers.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Saturday issued a statement and again advised Chinese citizens to temporarily avoid traveling to Japan due to increasing security risks across multiple prefectures, according to the WeChat account of the embassy.

A netizen from people.com.cn recently asked: Many people feel that future industries are still far from our daily lives, so why invest so many resources now to promote them?

At 7:26 am on December 26, 2025, a Long March-8A carrier rocket took off from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site as a column of fire and smoke billowed into the morning sky, before successfully delivering the 17th group of low-orbit internet satellites into their planned orbit.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FM) and the Chinese Embassy in Venezuela on Saturday issued a statement and advised Chinese citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to Venezuela amid rising security risks due to the US' military strikes against the Latin American country on Saturday.

The Xinhua News Agency reporters learned from several Chinese companies in Venezuela on Saturday that there have been no casualties among Chinese employees in Venezuela following the US bombing of the country, the agency reported on Saturday night.

The US' divestment order on HieFo's acquisition of Emcore assets reflects Washington's anxiety over technology competition with China, and as the order is made on national security grounds without providing convincing rationale, it will dampen the merger and acquisition landscape for small and medium-sized US tech companies, harming US competitiveness in innovation, a Chinese expert said on Saturday.

China's ice-and-snow economy kicked into high gear during the New Year's Day holidays, as surging travel demand, packed ski resorts and soaring bookings underscored the sector's growing role as a new engine of winter consumption.

China carried out a record 92 space launches in 2025, with multiple breakthroughs and a number of firsts across manned spaceflight, deep-space exploration and commercial spaceflight achieved, CCTV News reported on Saturday, citing the China National Space Administration.