China's smart energy push opens new avenues for global cooperation

Trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) rose 11% year on year to 580.12 billion yuan (US$85.57 billion) in the first half of this year, continuing a 10-year run of growth, a customs official said Tuesday.

From FIFA World Cup match balls to ping pong tables used in Olympics, Chinese-made sporting goods have become a familiar presence at the world's premier events. The country has remained the world's largest exporter of sporting goods in recent years, with its exports of sporting goods and equipment reaching 67.53 billion yuan (US$9.96 billion) in the first half of 2026, including 3.08 billion yuan worth of sports balls, said Lyu Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs of China, on Tuesday.

Three decades after welcoming its first German investor, the city of Taicang in Jiangsu province has become China's largest hub of German manufacturing, where industrial clustering, applied research and German-style vocational training have created a distinctive model of industrial development.

As another scorching summer grips Spain and much of Europe, demand for affordable and energy-efficient air conditioners is rising. For many consumers, Chinese brands are emerging as increasingly attractive options, offering a combination of affordability, energy efficiency, and reliable performance.

China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms grew 16.9 percent year on year in the first half of 2026 (H1), data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed Tuesday.

​China has set a goal of raising total retail sales of consumer goods to around 60 trillion yuan (roughly 8.8 trillion U.S. dollars) by 2030 and further strengthening consumption's role in driving economic growth, according to a government plan on expanding consumption during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Global oil demand is forecast to grow by 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2026 year-on-year, down from last month's assessment, said a report released on Monday by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

A record number of passenger trips were made across China in the first half of 2026, with more than 2.3 billion recorded, up 5 percent from the previous year, according to data released by the national railway operator Monday.

Over the past five years, Guangdong's investment in basic research has grown at an average annual rate of over 15 percent. The province now hosts 74,000 hi-tech enterprises, ranking among the top in China, and has fostered global tech leaders such as Huawei, Tencent and Midea.

In response to profound adjustments in the global economic and trade landscape and increased geo-economic uncertainty, companies around the world have been making plans for supply chain restructuring and the re-selection of investment destinations.

China's second-quarter GDP deflator is likely to turn positive for the first time in more than three years, sending the clearest signal yet that the country's price dynamics are improving, helping support corporate earnings and consumer confidence, analysts and executives said.

​China's economy maintained steady improvement in the first half of the year (H1), with consumption continuing to recover and high-tech industries gathering momentum, according to data released by the State Information Center (SIC) under the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner.

China's moves to accelerate innovation in the retail sector are expected to create new sources of consumer demand, inject fresh momentum into the industry and strengthen consumption-driven growth, government officials said on Thursday.

Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone is one of China's first national-level high-tech zones. In recent years, the zone has kept improving its business environment and sped up building a modern industrial system.

​Shanghai has ranked second among leading international shipping centers, according to a report released Friday.

​Western Europe saw its hottest June on record this year, as searing heat claimed lives, disrupted power supplies and drove up demand for cooling products across the region, underscoring the urgency for Europe to adapt to a changing climate marked by more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

​Outbound travel from Japan during this year's summer holiday season is expected to fall 8.8 percent from a year earlier, as the weak yen and rising costs dampen demand, local media reported.

​Trade value between China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Gulf Arab countries rose over 35 percent in the first five months of this year, said Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan on Sunday.

China's intelligent manufacturing is winning more overseas customers with smarter products and integrated solutions, as innovation and technology become key drivers in exports.

Three Chinese companies won the Global Awards 2026 presented by the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva on Friday.