Beijing Declaration 2.0 sets higher bar for China's wind power push

At China Wind Power 2025 in Beijing on Monday, industry leaders released the Beijing Declaration on Wind Energy 2.0, outlining targets for the upcoming "15th Five-Year Plan"(2026–2030). The plan calls for at least 120 GW of new wind power capacity to be added each year, including no less than 15 GW offshore, to lift China's total installed capacity to 1.3 TW by 2030, 2 TW by 2035, and 5 TW by 2060. The updated roadmap builds on the first Beijing Declaration issued in 2020 by more than 400 wind energy firms, which had targeted 50 GW of new capacity annually. Actual growth has far outpaced those projections: by June 2025, China's cumulative grid-connected wind capacity had reached 573 GW.

China's economy grows 5.2% in first three quarters

China's economy grew 5.2% in the first three quarters from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday, as resilient manufacturing and exports helped offset property weakness and tepid domestic demand. Gross domestic product reached 101.5 trillion yuan (about US$14 trillion), according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Growth slowed to 4.8% in the third quarter from 5.2% in the second, while the economy expanded 1.1% quarter-on-quarter. Industrial output rose 6.2% in the January–September period, driven by a 9.7% increase in equipment manufacturing and a 9.6% rise in high-tech manufacturing. Retail sales gained 4.5%, while fixed-asset investment excluding property edged up 3%. Exports increased 7.1% and imports slipped 0.2%. Consumer prices fell 0.1% year-on-year in the first three quarters, with core inflation at 0.6%. Producer prices were down 2.8% but the decline narrowed in September. The average urban jobless rate stood at 5.2%. The statistics bureau said the economy showed "resilience and vitality"but warned of persistent external uncertainties and weak domestic recovery momentum.

Roche chairman Severin Schwan named honorary citizen of Shanghai

Roche Group chairman Severin Schwan has been awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Shanghai, recognizing his long-term contributions to the city's economic and social development.

China inflation stays soft in September as CPI down 0.3%, PPI -2.3%

China's consumer prices fell 0.3% in September from a year earlier, narrowing from August's 0.4% drop, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Wednesday. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 1.0%—its fifth straight month of gains and the first time in nearly 19 months the rate has returned to 1%. According to the NBS, food prices fell 4.4% year-on-year, with pork down 17% and fresh vegetables down 13.7%. Non-food prices rose 0.7%, while service prices climbed 0.6%. Gold and platinum jewelry saw sharp increases of 42.1% and 33.6%, reflecting strong consumer demand in higher-value categories. Meanwhile, China's producer price index (PPI) fell 2.3% from a year earlier, narrowing by 0.6 percentage points from August, according to the NBS. The statistics bureau attributed the improvement to lower comparison bases and policy support under the "unified national market"initiative, which helped narrow declines in coal, steel and photovoltaic industries.

Li Auto opens first overseas retail center in Uzbekistan

Chinese EV maker Li Auto has opened its first overseas authorized retail center in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The center will sell three extended-range electric models — the Li L9, L7 and L6. Unlike its direct-sales model in China, Li Auto is adopting an authorized dealer model for its international expansion. The company said additional retail centers in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan's largest city and capital, will open in November.

AliExpress launches month-long global Double 11, spotlighting brand exports and managed services

Alibaba's cross-border e-commerce arm AliExpress has kicked off preparations for this year's overseas Double 11 shopping season, which will run from November 8 to December 3 — merging with Black Friday to create a month-long global sales campaign. The platform said it will keep advancing its dual-track "POP + fully managed"model, with this year's focus on brands, IP collaborations and premium product offerings. Ahead of the event, AliExpress'managed service has expanded to over 30 markets worldwide. In the first half of 2025, warehouse-fulfilled orders doubled year on year, while the number of top merchants generating more than US$500,000 in GMV climbed 25%.

China Sept exports up 8.3% y/y as non-U.S. demand holds firm

China's exports rose 8.3% in September from a year earlier, up from August's 4.4%, customs data showed on Monday, as stronger shipments to Southeast Asia and Europe offset weaker demand from the United States. Imports grew 7.4%, bringing the monthly trade surplus to US$90.5 billion. Exports to the ASEAN bloc climbed 14.7% in the first nine months of the year, while those to the European Union rose 8.2% and to the United States fell 16.9%. Economists said the rebound reflected a low comparison base and more working days than a year earlier but warned growth may turn negative in the fourth quarter as global demand softens and higher U.S. tariffs weigh on trade. They added that Beijing's new 500-billion-yuan (about US$70 billion) policy-based financing plan for infrastructure, announced in late September, could help support China's economy and partly offset weaker external demand.

China's BeiDou tech breaks GPS dominance in atmospheric sounding

China has developed a homegrown BeiDou-based atmospheric sounding system that rivals global leaders and breaks the long-held monopoly of the U.S. GPS technology in meteorological applications. The announcement came at a State Council press conference on meteorological progress under the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025). Officials said China has built an integrated land–sea–air–space observation network, comprising nine Fengyun satellites, 842 weather radars and more than 90,000 ground stations.

Wahaha's Zong Fuli resigns as chairwoman amid corporate reshuffle

Zong Fuli, daughter of the late Wahaha founder Zong Qinghou, has resigned as chairwoman, director and legal representative of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., a company insider said. The group confirmed the resignation, saying it was approved by shareholders and the board on September 12. Zong, 43, had led the beverage maker - one of China's largest- since her father's death in 2024. She also leads Hongsheng Group, a manufacturing and investment company she is widely believed to have founded about 20 years ago and that has long supplied Wahaha. Corporate data platform Tianyancha, which compiles official business filings, shows that since September, several Wahaha-linked companies have changed their names to Hongsheng, including Xishuangbanna Hongsheng Beverage Co. and Yichang Hongsheng Beverage Co. More than ten subsidiaries have made similar changes this year as Wahaha navigates succession and restructuring following the founder's death.

China forecasts 2.36 billion trips over 8-day holiday

China expects 2.36 billion trips during the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day break from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8, averaging 295 million a day and up 3.2% from last year, the transport ministry said on Sunday. About 1.87 billion journeys will be by car. Highways could see 70 million vehicles daily, including 14 million new energy cars. Railways are set to carry more than 219 million passengers, while air travel will reach 19.2 million, a record high for the period. Border crossings are expected to exceed 2 million a day, driven by visa waivers and more flights. Outbound tourism will rise sharply, with more travellers heading to Russia, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.