Cooperation in automotive industrial chains between China and South Korea has been gaining momentum. The latest example is the signing of a $75 million investment agreement between South Korean automaker KG Mobility (KGM) and China's Chery Automobile Co, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday. The Chinese automaker's global vehicle platforms and extensive supply chain are expected to support KGM's efforts to accelerate new model development and expand its overseas business, the report said.

Western media outlets have recently been keen to hype the narrative that China prioritizes industry over consumption. The latest example is a Reuters report on Monday, headlined "China draws 'red lines' around its economic model ahead of EU, US trade talks," which claimed that "China is energetically defending its economic policy mix that favors advanced industries over consumption."

Last year, the "new trio" of new-energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products made a strong impression in global markets, becoming standout symbols of Chinese manufacturing. This year, artificial intelligence, robotics and innovative medicines - dubbed the "next new three" - are expected to emerge as new pillars of growth.

The ultimate criterion for technological progress has never been about who shouts the loudest, but who creates tangible value for more people. The growth of China's AI industry is not to be slowed down by a few deeply biased Western media commentators.

Green and renewable energies hold good potential as a new area of growth in China-South Korea trade, driven by South Korea's genuine need for energy. The massive energy cooperation potential will certainly create new opportunities for businesses on both sides and support South Korea's industrial development. Yet realizing this potential will depend on the openness of markets and whether companies on both sides can find commercially viable solutions.

Editor's Note: Artem Oganov (Oganov), a distinguished professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and chief scientific officer of Sber University in Russia, and a foreign expert at China's Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, received the 2025 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award on July 8. What are his views on China's technological rise and China's sci-tech R&D environment? Oganov shared his perspectives with Global Times (GT) reporter Ma Jingjing.

From the "old three" exports of clothing, furniture, and appliances, to the "new three" of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar cells, China's industrial evolution has now entered a new era defined by its newest industrial champions: robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovative drugs. These sectors have firmly established themselves as the new "new three," reflecting not only the continued growth in China's innovation capacity but also the accelerated iteration of its industrial system.

After two years of improving attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI), Americans are becoming more skeptical of the technology - a trend that could pose longer-term challenges for the country's AI development. A Bentley University-Gallup survey released on Tuesday found that 39 percent of respondents believed that AI does more harm than good, while only 9 percent said that it does more good than harm. The growing unease appears to reflect concerns over employment, with 79 percent of respondents saying they believe that AI will reduce the number of US jobs over the next decade.

A wave of Chinese entrants into Britain's ‌car market is piling pressure on traditional manufacturers, Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the country's main automotive industry body, said on Thursday. Yet, he also acknowledged that Chinese competition was just one of several pressures facing Britain's automotive industry, also highlighting high energy costs, weak investment and regulations, Reuters reported.

Amid ongoing debate over China's exports, some Western media outlets and think tanks have advanced the so-called “China squeeze” narrative, claiming that China is squeezing the industrialization space available to developing economies. But a closer look at the evidence raises a different question: is China truly constraining these economies, or is it helping them build the capabilities needed for industrialization?

A narrative has gained traction in recent years that attributes global supply-demand mismatches, trade frictions and growing competitive pressures to expanding industrial supply in emerging markets, particularly what it describes as "China's industrial overcapacity". This argument reverses cause and effect and obscures the deeper issue: the structural flaws of an international monetary system built around the U.S. dollar's dominance.

Some Western media outlets have often hyped an artificial intelligence (AI) showdown between the US and China these days, with some even peddling the so-called "China AI threat" narrative. Beneath such coverage lies the assumption that technological progress is set to become the latest front of power rivalry.

As competition over AI technology intensifies globally, the development of China's western cities offers a new perspective on high-standard digital cooperation. The Xinhua News Agency reported that several participants at the APEC Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting and a series of digital events held in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province from July 16 to 29 noted that western Chinese cities are becoming a force of growing importance in Asia-Pacific digital cooperation.

South Korea is taking intensive measures to demonstrate its determination to seize opportunities in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Advance data from the Bank of Korea showed on Thursday that the South Korean economy grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter from the previous quarter, beating market expectations, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

India's steel industry appears to be approaching a crossroads. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Indian steelmakers are pivoting to the domestic market to offset weaker exports as key markets such as Europe and Britain tighten imports. Yet the domestic market may offer little relief. Executives and analysts said that Chinese steel is priced $52-$63 per ton below domestic grades, making it increasingly difficult for Indian mills to absorb output diverted from export markets.

The yen's weakness, already a major market focus, is pushing the Japanese economy into uncharted uncertainty at a pace far exceeding market expectations.

Samsung Electronics' job cuts and relocation plan in the US have drawn widespread attention. The adjustments come as the US seeks to draw South Korean chipmakers deeper into US-based production. Yet simply following US priorities risks South Korea losing its initiative in industrial development.

Amid rising protectionism, Germany's investment summit will test whether it remains committed to open markets and a fair business climate. The choice will shape its appeal to global capital.

When it comes to trade with China, there has been growing hype from the EU over the “undervalued yuan” these days. This one-sided interpretation defies basic global economic principles and fails to address the root causes of Europe's persistent trade challenges.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Thursday that the US wants Vietnam to take more action on non-tariff barriers, economic security cooperation and intellectual property as the two sides continue to wrangle over a trade deal after months of negotiations, Bloomberg reported. Beneath this technical-sounding trade rhetoric lies Washington's geopolitical calculus: to employ economic leverage to draw Vietnam into its technology-restriction orbit, with the evident aim of tightening the net around China's access to advanced technologies. But Vietnam does not need to pick sides to pursue its economic and trade interests.

The question the world should be asking is not how many barrels of oil China will import, but when the global energy channel crisis will be resolved. Global energy stability requires a clear-eyed confrontation with the supply-side disruptions at their source – and the political will to fix them.

With global trade protectionism on the rise and supply chain security frequently politicized, Chinese-made air conditioners traveling to Europe via the China-Europe Railway Express reveal the true essence of China-EU economic and trade ties.

Viewed beyond the perspective of automotive market competition and from the broader picture of China-South Korea economic and trade relations, any protectionist mindset runs counter to the general trend of mutually beneficial win-win cooperation.

Since Europe's energy transition hinges on stable and cost-effective supplies, China's high-quality green manufacturing will be greatly helpful for Europe. Any trade barrier will only reduce Europe's room for international cooperation.

Even amid high-profile US-South Korea industrial cooperation, the underlying logic of global shipbuilding competition has not been fundamentally reshaped by geopolitical agendas as many expected before.

As the EU debates its auto industry's future, some politicians have hyped the so-called “China threat” rhetoric to justify protectionism. Yet rising EV sales show the need to prioritize consumers over protectionism.

China and South Korea's efforts to enhance their currencies' global roles reflect the broader diversification of the global monetary system. Strong economic and trade ties provide a foundation for deeper financial cooperation between the two countries.

What China's EVs bring to global markets is not only more consumer choice, but also a cost-efficient path for auto green transition. Chinese EVs will continue to expand, with a tech-driven, cooperation-focused approach unlocking new global industrial momentum.

As China-India relations show signs of recovery and improvement, India could consider ramping up efforts to attract Chinese investment. At a minimum, Chinese investors should be given a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory investment environment.

To expand exports to China, an official from Vietnam's ministry of agriculture and environment said the country's agricultural sector must shift from output-driven growth to a new model focused on quality, value addition and low-carbon development, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday. In 2025, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China reached about $5.5 billion.

China has evolved from the “world's factory” to an “innovation powerhouse.” This shift has generated an “innovation dividend” with positive spillovers for the global economy, and is increasingly a source of momentum.

Japan's white paper recognizes the deep, extensive economic and trade ties between China and emerging markets, yet attempts to override market-driven choices with geopolitical rhetoric, a contradiction that cannot help with Japan's export competitiveness.

South Korea on Monday set out an industrial strategy centered on semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).

On a question that has drawn rising attention from global affairs observers - why global businesses cannot write off the Chinese economy - Joe Ngai, McKinsey's Greater China chair, offered an observation in an earlier interview with Fortune: "the next China is still China." In a more recent interview with CNBC, Ngai went further, describing China as the "factory for factories," where international companies are not only coming to sell to the market, but also to learn from it.

As extreme heat waves become increasingly normal in Europe, the continent's energy system is being tested. There's a growing urgency to accelerate the restructuring of Europe's energy mix. If Europe sets aside protectionism, it can significantly reduce the economic costs of its energy transition.

Whether or not India and the US seal an interim trade pact, the real test for India lies in balancing domestic industrial interests with external trade demands. India needs more diversified leeway in the global trade landscape. That is increasingly where Asia's industrial chain comes into play.

Views of European politicians and media outlets toward Chinese investment have long been complex and multifaceted. Influenced by geopolitical anxieties and concerns over industrial security, many biased opinions have emerged in the European market. Yet the industrial complementarity between China and Europe rests on solid economic foundations.

Amid profound shifts in the global energy landscape, the question of whether BRICS members can deepen collaboration to drive the global green transition carries profound significance – not only for their own sustainable growth but also for the broader Global South.

According to the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle, China's motorcycle exports to Europe reached about $1.68 billion last year, up 38.72 percent year-on-year. This is a microcosm of the growing global recognition of “Made in China” as a technologically competitive force.

Western media outlets have been hyping the EU's trade deficit with China, peddling the narrative that the bloc is on the “losing side” in cooperation with China. Yet, such rhetoric rests on an incomplete and irresponsible reading of the bilateral economic relationship.

The improving performance of South Korean fashion companies in China contrasts with Western media narratives of “weak consumption.” This divide in view reflects a fundamental gap in perception and mindset.

China's energy supply and demand draw widespread market attention. Thanks to progress in traditional energy security and new-energy expansion, it has weathered global market volatility. More notably, its resilient energy system also supports the regional economy.

At its core, foreign trade is the cross-border circulation of products. As global industrial and supply chains undergo profound restructuring, expansion into international market has become an inevitable trend for Chinese enterprises. To achieve high-quality economic globalization, several priorities deserve attention.

For many years, foreign trade has been a major engine of China's economic growth. China's total goods trade reached 20.68 trillion yuan ($2.9 trillion) in the first five months of 2026, up 15.3 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

China-Europe cooperation in vehicle industrial chains represents an opportunity. However, such cooperation must be grounded in commercial rules. Neither side should use protectionist measures to force the other side's business decisions.

The 10th China-South Asia Exposition is set to be held from June 11 to 16 in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. With 13 themed pavilions covering services trade, green energy, cultural tourism, intelligent manufacturing, modern agriculture, and other key sectors, the event stands as one of the largest comprehensive trade fairs for South Asia.

Framing Chinese exports as a threat contradicts both the economic facts and the real interests of companies and consumers worldwide. In today's deeply interconnected global economy, recognizing the positive value of China's exports and upholding an open, cooperative trade environment is the rational choice that serves everyone's interests.

While it is not uncommon to see EU politicians hype the so-called “economic threat” from China, such rhetoric does not mask Europe's genuine need for cooperation with China.

One month has passed since the issuance of a May 8 order by India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, which linked compressor imports in the current fiscal year to a percentage of volumes imported in fiscal 2025.

The US has used national security as a tool, arbitrarily branding purely commercial procurement and cross-border infrastructure cooperation as geopolitical risks. The practice casts a shadow over global digital infrastructure cooperation and will backfire on the US.

The World Economic Forum on Tuesday announced on its official website the third cohort of its MINDS program, recognizing organizations using artificial intelligence (AI) and frontier technology to tackle complex global challenges, with more than half of the selected pioneers from China.

In-depth cooperation along the industry chain carries profound practical significance for the high-quality development of both the Chinese and South Korean shipbuilding industries.

South Korea's latest export figures reflect the mutually beneficial industrial cooperation between China and South Korea. They send a clear message to the world that China's market potential continues to grow, and economies that deepen practical cooperation with China are reaping tangible economic rewards.

China's outbound investment is creating opportunities through deeper global industrial linkages. Protecting legitimate investor interests would support economic efficiency and global growth.

The yuan's recent performance has drawn market attention for its upward momentum. As external shocks stoke volatility across Asian financial markets, the yuan's appreciation holds far-reaching implications for regional financial cooperation.

China's wind power supply chain is an opportunity for Europe to lower its transition costs. Defining partners as threats will ultimately harm Europe's own industrial competitiveness.

Despite China's globally recognized investments and achievements in renewable energy development, skepticism about its climate actions remains a recurring topic of Western public opinion. This has less to do with genuine concern for climate governance than with the double standards applied by certain Western institutions.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies rapidly weave themselves into daily life, China's embodied AI market is projected to reach 400 billion yuan ($58.96 billion) by 2030, potentially surpassing 1 trillion yuan by 2035, while creating more than 1 million jobs, CCTV News reported on Monday.

Some international commentaries on China's electric-vehicle (EV) industry tend to focus on exports, pricing and China's manufacturing scale. But another set of numbers tells a different story. The People's Daily reported on Sunday that the number of EV charging facilities in China had reached 21.955 million at the end of April.

Chinese companies are purchasing a growing number of overseas consumer brands, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. There were $2.4 billion of consumption goods deals seen in the first quarter of this year, almost all in Europe and North America. Last year's total of $6.8 billion investment was the highest since 2018, data from consultancy Rhodium Group showed.

Some in the West appear to believe that a breakthrough on pricing could facilitate investment in critical minerals supply chains. But the real problem with Western rare earths is not a lack of pricing rules; it is the lack of a commercially viable industrial foundation for critical minerals.

The so-called China shock rhetoric is essentially a carefully packaged projection of anxiety. It ignores the positive value of China's supply chains in the global economic cycle. In essence, it serves to pave the road for trade protectionism and stands against the very trend of economic globalization.

There is no shortcut to improving industrial competitiveness. If the EU continues to indulge in creating a comfortable internal environment through trade protection, its industry woes will only spread faster on the hotbed of protectionism.

As India's industrialization accelerates, energy pressure will only intensify. This is why renewable energy has become an absolute necessity, and why it opens new opportunities for deeper China-India cooperation in the new-energy sector.

As the Chinese mainland's innovative pharmaceuticals industry starts to gain global recognition, Hong Kong is leveraging its distinctive edge to align with the national development strategy and build itself into a drug innovation hub in the world, playing an indispensable role in China's evolution from a major drug maker to a strong innovator in biopharmaceuticals.

As the global auto industry undergoes a profound transition toward electrification and intelligence, the pragmatic signal of industrial cooperation with China from an official of the German state of Saxony, and the market rationality and practical urgency behind it, deserve consideration by the EU.

The restructuring of the global industrial chain has brought challenges and opportunities to all economies. Whether the EU can seize these opportunities hinges on one thing: its readiness to pursue meaningful reforms, instead of scapegoating China.

The development of China's auto industry is not about taking others' share, but making the whole pie larger. Calling it a “shock” distorts facts and misreads future opportunities.

The active integration of numerous foreign partners into China's industrial chain stands as the strongest testament to the country's comprehensive strength, vast market potential, robust industrial ecosystem, and the immense opportunities it offers. It is wise for foreign firms to seize these chances.

How to foster AI innovation while effectively managing ethical risks is a pressing global challenge. Facing the problem, China has moved forward with practical action to explore responsible AI innovation.

Anti-dumping complaints by Europe's chemical companies have reached an all-time high, with Brussels launching dozens of cases into Chinese imports over the past two years, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Chinese carmakers' overseas expansion extends to in-depth integration across the entire industrial chain, fostering more complex and intensive mutually beneficial cooperation between Chinese and European vehicle industries.

Warnings of heat waves show the urgency of the energy transition. While protectionist measures raise the cost of clean energy adoption, more open industrial cooperation can help the world address rising temperatures.

From the symposium in Nairobi to discussions at the Zimbabwe trade fair, enthusiasm from African businesses sends a clear message: China's zero-tariff policy will bring not just higher trade figures, but also new momentum for Africa's industrialization.

It's been two weeks since China reported remarkable import growth for the first quarter of 2026, yet the reverberations continue. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that economists have sharply upgraded their forecasts for China's import growth and now expect it to overtake the pace of expansion in exports for the first time since 2021. Specifically, as Chinese firms hoover up high-end chips needed for artificial intelligence (AI), imports are set to jump to a five-year high of 5 percent in 2026, according to the median estimate of 17 economists polled by Bloomberg. That's more than double the growth predicted in March.

World Intellectual Property Day fell on Sunday, but for China, it was more than an annual event. The nation is undergoing an important shift, moving from being a major importer to an important creator of intellectual properties. The change reflects the country's growing technological strength and offers new perspectives on the manufacturing sector and expanding international market presence.

US official's “national security premium” rhetoric about critical minerals trade with its allies seriously deviates from the basic laws of the market economy. True supply chain security can never be attained through closed small circles and forced premiums.

The online enthusiasm for Chinese EVs that are essentially unavailable in the US is a signal worth heeding. Although trade barriers may limit the market access of Chinese EVs, they cannot stop US consumers from seeking out desirable green products.

If Western countries can view China's role in the green supply chain with a more open mind, the global deployment of clean energy will only accelerate, benefiting not only developing nations but also the West's own climate goals and economic well-being.

Technological convergence is not just a demonstration of how much foreign automakers value China, but also a reaffirmation that collaboration is the key to unlocking the sector's transformative potential.

China is willing to advance negotiations on upgrading the China-Switzerland free trade agreement (FTA), and a high-level FTA will inject new momentum into trade, investment and innovation cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister and deputy China international trade representative Ling Ji said during a bilateral trade meeting in Bern, Switzerland, according to a statement seen on the Ministry of Commerce's website on Saturday.

The “China Shock 2.0” claim misinterprets mutually beneficial collaboration in global industrial chains as a zero-sum game. The truth is that China's high-tech industries also import. They don't just compete – they also cooperate. They are changing the world, but the world is also changing them.

It is hoped that those who are still influenced by trade protectionist voices or inclined to protectionism can see the vitality of the EV industry's development, and work to promote win-win cooperation for all businesses, no matter where they are from.

The growth of trade by foreign-invested companies in China offers a fresh perspective on why globalization matters. Supply chains are interconnected, and de-globalization will hurt, not protect, the global economy.

As global trade uncertainty rises, South Korea's efforts to expand FTAs with emerging markets reflect Asia's growing focus on developing economies. Strengthening internal cooperation within Asia's supply chains helps unlock new opportunities.

The China-Laos Railway has added strong momentum to regional tourism cooperation since the launch of its international passenger service three years ago.

Amid rising global uncertainty, the ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting sent a clear signal: All parties need to push cooperation and exchanges further with a greater sense of urgency if they are to firmly seize the initiative for sustainable development.

With Oracle reportedly cutting thousands of jobs and becoming the latest US technology giant to announce massive layoffs while ramping up artificial intelligence (AI) investment, the debate over AI's impact on jobs is again in the spotlight. The pressing questions remain: Is the rise of AI destined to bring about massive job losses? Will the "AI-related layoffs" model embraced by US tech giants become the global industry's standard response to the AI era?

Why has China become the primary supply chain hub within the ASEAN+3 region? The answer lies in the combined effect of its growing manufacturing strength and deepening regional cooperation.

With strategic coordination, deeper industrial integration can create new complementarities. Even as China advances in high-end shipbuilding, cooperation with South Korea will continue, likely shifting to new areas.

Indian business delegation's visit to China is undoubtedly a notable sign of the recent warming in bilateral economic ties, underscoring great interest in and broad prospects for China-India economic and trade cooperation.

With the continuous improvement of bilateral economic and trade relations, China is increasingly regarded as one of the key factors driving the recovery of tourism to South Korea.

While some in the EU have been enthusiastically promoting the idea of "economic security" and pushing for reduced reliance on certain trading partners, this rhetoric has met with considerable resistance in the business world. The latest case in point is a study, conducted by the University of Sussex and King's College London seen by Reuters on Monday, which showed that German companies are so deeply tied to both the US and China that they cannot decouple from either without ‌severe economic costs.

India's reported concerns over the Investment Facilitation for Development agreement are both unfounded and unnecessary. The country may need to consider why 129, or roughly three-quarters, of WTO members have opted to support the IFD agreement.

Members of the European Parliament are set to assess the EU's global infrastructure investment efforts under the Global Gateway Initiative on Thursday, according to a briefing published on the European Parliament's website.

China filed 22,031 patent applications with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 9.7 percent, according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 report released on Tuesday. China rose to third place in patent applications for the first time, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

As American consumers' interest in Chinese EVs grows, one fact is becoming increasingly clear: trade protectionism cannot block the appeal of truly competitive products.

At least 12 global carmakers, mostly in Europe and the US, are scaling back their EV plans. This reveals the constraints of green policies in some Western countries, which undercut global green development and hinder industrial cooperation.

News of Air China resuming direct flight route between Beijing and New Delhi quickly drew significant attention from major Indian media outlets, following a post on X on Saturday by Yu Jing, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India, who hailed the move as a “big green light” for cooperation.