China Economic Net

Opinion China's Foreign Trade Gets Off to a Strong Start Since the beginning of this year, despite a complex and severe external environment, China's foreign trade has gotten off to a strong and favorable start. Data released by the General Administration of Customs on April 14 shows that in the first quarter, China's total import and export value of trade in goods reached 11.84 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China's economy grew 5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, outpacing expectations of some foreign institutions and reinforcing the country's role as a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile global economy.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The improving economic figures in the first quarter (Q1) despite headwinds at home and abroad have not only signaled a sound start for the Chinese economy this year, but also provided powerful evidence of the efficacy of China's economic policies. At the heart of this positive momentum is China's gross domestic product, which grew 5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.

By Michalis Psilos After nearly half a century, Greece is set to resume offshore natural gas drilling in February 2027 —ten months from now—with the first operation since the Prinos well, according to Energy and Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou, speaking in an interview with Naftemporiki's vidcast and journalist Michalis Psilos.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House "over the next week or two." "I think we're going to have a meeting," Trump told reporters at the White House, noting the talks would be the first in 44 years and a potential deal would include Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

PARIS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Europe may have only about six weeks of jet fuel remaining if current supply disruptions persist, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol warned on Thursday. Birol cautioned that flight cancellations could occur soon if oil supplies remain blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to a report by French-language media outlet L'actualite.

HAIKOU, April 16 (Xinhua) -- At the technology exhibition zone of the ongoing sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), a variety of innovative products featuring cutting-edge AI technologies are on display. These offerings are captivating visitors by providing a tangible vision of future daily life, while also showcasing China's emergence as a global testbed for smart consumption.

ASHGABAT, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said here Thursday that China is willing to work together with Turkmenistan to fully leverage the role of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee and, following the grand blueprint drawn by the leaders of both countries, promote high-quality development of their all-round cooperation.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China will steadily expand its pilot opening-up programs in areas including value-added telecommunications, biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospitals, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. The decision was announced by spokesperson He Yadong in response to a media inquiry on advancing the high-quality development of China's services industry.

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to provide central fiscal support this year for selected cities to carry out urban renewal actions, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Thursday. The support will target cities at the prefectural level and above in 2026, with no more than 15 cities to be selected through competitive review, the notice stated.