China vows to continue opening its economy amid trade tensions with U.S.
"Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged on Sunday to further open the country’s economy to foreign firms and pursue more balanced trade with its global partners
[...] China will import more high-quality foreign goods and work with all parties to promote optimized and balanced trade development and expand the global trade pie
[...] Li said foreign firms would be treated in the same way as domestic ones"
"While Li’s speech did not appear to directly mention the surplus, his pledges indicate an awareness that the issue could disrupt international relations"
--- Yeah right, as if it's not the same old talking points the CCP repeats every year.
China's Xi urges progress in his 'city of the future' project
"Nearly a decade since ground was broken in 2017, central Xiongan remains sparsely populated, though the city is targeted for basic completion in 2035.
Officials should "be bold in taking responsibility, throw themselves into the work of implementation, and strive to deliver satisfactory results to the Party and the people," Xi urged during his inspection tour"
--- Nobody actually wants to live there, so the CCP will order companies to build the headquarters there and will order lots of state officials to move to the place.
Not just buying ‘things’: Why China’s emotional economy is on the rise
"Data from analysts and official sources show that Chinese consumers are increasingly spending on goods and experiences chosen for their emotional resonance over practical value — everything from theme parks to jewelry."
--- Meh, this is nothing new. The numbers may be growing but that cannot make up for the losses the economy suffers in other areas.
"while many commentators have noted a growth in China’s emotion-driven spending, analysts are divided on what exactly is fueling this growth. The most common explanations see emotion-driven spending as a sort of stress response."
--- Yep, and what's more, the little emperors have grown up and they are are important for themselves and they want to feel how important they are.
China dials back on fuel price hikes to 'reduce burden' on drivers
"More than 300 million people in China drive cars that run on petrol or diesel"
--- Where have all the EVs gone?
"China has built up reserves of around 900 million barrels - just under three months' worth of imports."
--- But China won't release these reserves because it needs them in case of an invasion of Taiwan.
China’s Free Ride at Hormuz
"this neutrality is less a reflection of principled diplomacy than a strategy of risk minimization combined with benefit extraction. China has refrained from joining U.S.-led maritime security efforts or proposing an alternative security framework of its own. Nor has it signaled any willingness to deploy its growing naval capabilities specifically to safeguard the strait, despite being one of its largest economic beneficiaries.
This posture effectively allows China to externalize the costs of security while internalizing the benefits of stability. The United States and its partners continue to bear the burden of maintaining open sea lanes, even as China emerges as the primary economic stakeholder in those very routes. In this sense, Beijing’s approach is not neutral; it is rather asymmetrical.
China’s posture in the Strait of Hormuz crisis is often framed as prudent, measured, and stabilizing. In reality, it is better understood as a strategy of selective engagement and structural dependence. Beijing benefits from a system it does not sustain, leverages instability without managing its consequences, and expands its influence while deferring responsibility. "
--- Win-win with Chinese characteristics.
China is mapping the ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with the U.S.
"The Dong Fang Hong 3 isn’t operating alone. It is part of a broader ocean mapping and monitoring operation involving dozens of research vessels and hundreds of sensors. In tracing this effort, Reuters examined Chinese government and university records, including journal articles and scientific studies, and analyzed more than five years of movement by 42 research vessels active in the Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans using a ship-tracking platform built by New Zealand company Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
While the research has civilian purposes – some of the surveying covers fishing grounds or areas where China has mineral prospecting contracts – it also serves a military one, according to nine naval-warfare experts who reviewed Reuters’ findings. "
--- There is no distinction between civilian and military or private and the state in China. Everything belongs to the CCP.
Vietnam protests China’s development of disputed reef in South China Sea
"China’s foreign ministry during a press conference Monday asserted its position that the Paracels were Beijing’s territory.
“Xisha Qundao is China’s inherent territory, over which there is no dispute,”"
--- There is no dispute in China, that is. International law and opinion be damned.
Prominent Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 5 Years
Japan to drop 'one of its most important' tag for China ties
China protests to Japan over alleged break-in at its embassy in Tokyo
--- China Uncensored: "The world isn’t ready to face China"
--- China Uncensored: "This Episode May Make You MAD"
--- DW News: "Why is China ramping up its military spending?"
VW-Chef sieht chinesische Planwirtschaft als Vorbild
"VW-Chef Oliver Blume sieht in der staatlich gelenkten Wirtschaft in China ein Vorbild für Deutschland. "Die Chinesen gehen sehr planerisch vor mit sogenannten Fünfjahresplänen und haben dort auch klare Prioritäten", sagte er der "Bild am Sonntag". "Das ist optimal durchstrukturiert. Und was wir in China sehr positiv erleben, ist eine hohe Disziplin und Leistungsbereitschaft, die Themen umzusetzen.""
--- Nicht wirklich eine Überraschung, wenn die deutsche Großindustrie mit einer Diktatur liebäugelt.
Chinesischer Ministerpräsident verspricht ausländischen Firmen Gleichbehandlung
"Der chinesische Ministerpräsident Li Qiang hat ausländischen Unternehmen eine weitere Öffnung der Wirtschaft und vollständige Gleichbehandlung versprochen. Angesichts wachsender globaler Handelsspannungen wolle die Volksrepublik das Vertrauen der internationalen Gemeinschaft stärken, sagte Li am Sonntag auf dem China Development Forum in Peking staatlichen Medien zufolge. China werde sich auf eine qualitativ hochwertige Entwicklung konzentrieren und ein günstiges Geschäftsumfeld schaffen. Ausländische Firmen sollten mit Zuversicht im Land wachsen können. Zudem kündigte Li an, mehr hochwertige Güter zu importieren und sich für einen ausgewogenen Handel einzusetzen."
