News about China: events, facts and developments on tafs uz.
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Monday brought a recovery in global markets: US Treasury yields fell, gold rose, and US indices opened higher. Support came from optimism around a new Middle East peace plan and China's Q3 GDP data (+4.5%). European indices, however, opened lower amid protests in France, while the Nikkei 225 fell after statements by Prime Minister Takaichi.
Nilufar KarimovaRussia has abolished visas for Vietnamese tourists, businesspeople, delegations and transit passengers. Flow from the EU fell from 5 million in 2019 to ~160,000 in 2025; the authorities are betting on Asia and the Middle East, but Chinese figures lag behind official targets.
Aziz KarimovChinese consumers increasingly seek value rather than display status: the personal luxury market in mainland China is shrinking while secondary luxury is growing. LVMH ties falling sales to slowing demand in China; Louis Vuitton has closed five stores, and Galeries Lafayette shut its Beijing flagship. A lawsuit by Louis Vuitton against the Molly Tea chain has added further friction.
Dilnoza RahimovaChina's Ministry of Commerce announced a revision of export controls: from November 18, 2026, exporting drones and key components will require a permit, while supplies of specialized construction equipment to countries and regions in disputes with Beijing will be restricted. The rules were issued jointly with customs and the Armament Development Office of the Central Military Commission, citing national security.
Dilnoza RahimovaAccording to China's National Bureau of Statistics, industrial production in September increased 5.5% year-on-year, beating market expectations (5.4%) and accelerating from 5.2% in August. Retail sales grew 1.1% versus a forecast of 0.5%, reaching 4.24 trillion yuan.
Nilufar KarimovaA key stage of construction on the Nantong–Ningbo line has been completed: the steel spans of the southern Hangzhou Bay bridge, 814.5 m long with a main span of 364 m, have been connected. The complex is set to become the world's longest sea high-speed railway bridge — 29.2 km across the bay.
Aziz KarimovAccording to Beijing Daily, by 2035 the share of Beijing residents over 60 will exceed 33%, which could make the city a 'super-aged' megapolis. At the end of 2025, the city was home to 5.29 million people over 60 — 24.3% of the permanent population. The authorities are strengthening support measures for the elderly, while China, according to Reuters estimates, will allocate about 180 billion yuan in 2026 to programs aimed at boosting the birth rate.
Aziz KarimovThe OECD presented PISA results in September 2026, involving more than 760,000 15-year-old students from 91 countries and economies. Four regions of China lead in science (597) and mathematics (612), Singapore in reading literacy (535), and Macao in computational problem solving (572). A decline in OECD countries' average scores over 2015–2025 and a growing share of students not reaching the baseline level were noted.
Aziz KarimovJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday sent a personal monetary offering to Yasukuni Shrine on the occasion of the autumn festival, and earlier sent a ritual masakaki offering. The shrine was also visited by the land minister and a ruling party representative. China's Foreign Ministry lodged a stern protest, calling the shrine a symbol of Japanese militarism.
Aziz KarimovChina's GDP grew 4.5% year-on-year in Q3 2026, beating forecasts (4.4% per an AFP survey) and accelerating from 4.3% in Q2. Growth was driven by exports, especially high-tech products, amid weak domestic demand, a downturn in the property market and falling investment. The trade surplus for the nine months reached $938 billion, heightening friction with the EU and the US.
Nilufar KarimovaOn October 16, Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with participants of the Council of Investors in the fuel and energy sector. Sinoma Energy Conservation announced the completion of its first solar power plant project with a battery storage system in the Navoi region, while China Energy International and CAMCE noted plans to expand cooperation.
Nilufar KarimovaOn October 17, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a Chinese delegation led by State Council Premier Li Qiang. The parties discussed expanding cooperation in green energy, the peaceful atom, digital technologies and other areas, construction of the China — Kyrgyzstan — Uzbekistan railway, and increasing flights between cities of the two countries. The portfolio of firm projects reached about $60 billion, with more than 6,000 joint ventures created.
Aziz KarimovCroatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met in Zagreb with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The sides discussed strengthening cooperation, the participation of Chinese companies in Croatian infrastructure projects, the new Beijing — Bucharest — Zagreb air route, EU — China relations, as well as the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Aziz KarimovA court in Lanzhou sentenced the kindergarten principal to life imprisonment for adding toxic substances to children's food. Five others received sentences ranging from 6 to 15 years. In total, 247 pupils suffered from elevated blood lead levels.
Aziz KarimovAccording to Visual Capitalist data based on IMF statistics and the UN Comtrade database, in 2000 the EU was the leading trade partner among the trio 'China — US — EU' in 112 of 175 economies, and the US in 53. By 2025, the leadership had shifted: China became the top partner in 92 countries, the EU in 55, and the US in 32. China's external goods trade grew from $470 billion in 2000 to $6.4 trillion in 2025.
Nilufar KarimovaThe 'sponge city' concept, developed in China in the early 2000s, involves absorbing, retaining and reusing rainwater through green spaces and permeable surfaces. European cities including Malmö, Rotterdam and Copenhagen are already applying similar solutions, and the European Commission is promoting them in the 2025 Water Resilience Strategy. Experts warn: sponge cities are a powerful but not universal tool for protection against floods and drought.
Sardor QodirovDuring exercises of the Norwegian Home Guard near Oslo Airport, soldiers discovered that rented Chinese Deepal (Changan) cars recorded video from cameras: who got into the vehicles, routes driven, and access codes to military facilities. It is unknown whether the recordings were transmitted to third parties. The army continued using the cars until the end of the exercises and preferred local restrictions to an outright ban.
Otabek YusupovBBC economics editor Faisal Islam summed up the annual IMF meetings in Bangkok: the global economy is being pulled in different directions by an energy shock, trade conflicts and war on one side, and massive AI investment on the other. The IMF called the UK a 'model pupil', and Chancellor John Healey linked strong growth data to AI investment. A separate theme was the 'second China shock' in electric vehicles and the UK's rapprochement with the EU.
Dilnoza Rahimova
