Business

China's economy maintained stable growth in April, with key indexes on industry, exports, employment and price improving moderately from March, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday, underscoring that the world's second-largest economy has been sustaining the solid recovery momentum since the beginning of the year despite facing multiple global and domestic headwinds.

Analysts predicted that China's GDP could grow at a rate between 5.3 and 5.5 percent in the second quarter, slightly up from the 5.3-percent growth recorded in the first quarter. And the economy is set to unleash more potential in the second half, as a package of stimulus measures, including the issuance of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and supports on property industry, take effect and as global demand continued to bounce back.

China's industrial production jumped 6.7 percent year-on-year in April, compared with a 4.5-percent growth in March, NBS data showed. In April, retail sales gained 2.3 percent year-on-year, down from the March reading of 3.1 percent.

Fixed-asset investment rose 4.2 percent year-on-year in the first four months, slowing down from the 4.5 percent growth in the first three months.
"China's economy remained stable in April. Although some indicators recorded a moderate growth rate as affected by factors such as staggered holiday arrangement and a relatively high base in the same period last year, major indicators of industry, exports, employment and prices improved, with new driving forces maintaining rapid growth," NBS spokesperson Liu Aihua said at a press briefing of the State Council Information Office on Friday.

"One of the economic highlights from the April data is the robust growth in high-end manufacturing, which beats market expectation," Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Friday.

He said that some of economic data in April has overall improved mildly compared with March reading, which bodes well for the growth in the second quarter. Cao projected that the GDP growth in the April-June period would speed up 0.1 percentage point to 0.2 percentage point from the first quarter.

"Considering China's prodigious economic scale, any growth between 4.5 and 5.5 percent should be sound and sustainable," Cao noted. Analysts exemplified that if China's GDP growth hit over 5 percent per year, the increase in China's economic volume could roughly equate to the economic output of Switzerland, which is now the world's 20th-largest economy.

China's robust economy in the first four months has proved that the US government's reckless suppression of Chinese industries, which it attempted to justify by labeling the "overcapacity" claim on Chinese exports, is futile and doomed to lose traction in global arena, analysts said.

Analysts expected that China's economic growth will contribute around 35 percent to the global economic development this year, further consolidating its role as both a stabilizer and key locomotive of the world economy.

China on Friday issued the first batch of 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion) in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, as the authorities seek more funding to shore up government spending and strategically important projects' investment for high-quality economic development.

"The bond issuance needs to be completed as early as possible, considering that there is still some softness in the economy," Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times.

He expected more measures to be unveiled to shore up the property sector, which remains a drag on the economy in the first quarter.

Cao noted that it would take two to three months for the effects of ultra-long-term treasury bonds issuance to bear fruits, and that in turn would elevate the whole-year GDP growth by 0.1-0.3 percent.

China's trade in goods in the first four months of 2024 recorded an increase of 5.7 percent year-on-year to reach 13.81 trillion yuan, data from China's General Administration of Customs showed last Thursday.

McDonald’s on Monday apologized after media reports said that two of its outlets in China sold food made of expired ingredients and the outlet moved to  change the labels, sparking heated discussion online. 

The company said in a statement that it is actively cooperating with local market regulator in conducting an investigation and will address any violation of operational standards.

"We apologize for the impact from the restaurants involved. We are duty-bound to further strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the restaurants' code of practice," the company said in a statement.

Two McDonald’s restaurants in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan Province and Jinan, East China’s Shandong Province, were discovered to selling expired food, using expired ingredients, changing the food expiration labels and other issues, bjnews.com reported on Monday. 

The report soon sparked a heat discussion on Chinese social media. The hashtag “McDonald’s changing labels for expired food ingredient to extend the usage” reached 65.76 million views on Weibo, sparking more than 16,000 postings as of press time.

Many Chinese netizens have expressed their disappointment saying McDonald’s have let them down. 

Local market regulators in Zhengzhou and Jinan cities have launched investigations as health and food safety officials conduct onsite probes. 

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the company’s 2023 earnings call that he saw strong growth in the Chinese market and was pleased with McDonald's performance in the market. McDonald's plans to launch 1,000 new outlets in Chinese mainland this year.

The Caixin China General Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 52.5 in April, expanding for the 16th consecutive month, according to data released by Caixin on Monday. Chinese observers said the figure reflected accelerated momentum in China's broad services activity.

The expansion was primarily reflected in the sustained growth of new orders, which rose at the fastest pace in nearly one year. Improvements in overseas markets and increased tourism activity led to the highest growth in new export orders in 10 months, marking the eighth consecutive month of expansion.

The index in April was slightly lower than the March reading of 52.7, but it remained in expansion territory, mirroring the sustained pickup in both the supply and demand sides in services. 

The new orders index and new export orders index saw moderate increases in April, hitting their highest levels since June and July 2023. 

"Improved demand drove a continuous increase in supply. Business activity and total new orders both grew for the 16th straight month, with the latter increasing at the fastest pace since May last year, indicating a solid resurgence in demand," Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said on Monday.

First-quarter economic conditions have exceeded market expectations, with consumption gradually picking up, signaling a positive start to the year. 

Analysts expect the economy to ride on the momentum of the good start to the year, with more driving force from brisk services activity and consumption in the remaining months.

"The sustained expansion of the services PMI reflects the stability of China's economic development, symbolizing the leading role of the services sector in the country's economic recovery," Li Chang'an, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

This is a significant outcome of policies aimed at boosting domestic demand and stimulating consumption, and the expansion of the tertiary sector is likely to continue, said Li. 

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the five-day May Day holidays, 295 million domestic trips were made, a 7.6 percent year-on-year increase and a 28.2 percent gain compared with the 2019 figure. Total domestic tourist spending reached 166.89 trillion yuan ($23.13 billion), up 12.7 percent year-on-year and a 13.5 percent increase compared with 2019.

However, some economic pressure persists. According to data from Caixin, the services sector employment index remained in contraction territory for a third consecutive month.

"Despite optimistic macroeconomic data driven by policy efforts, the economic recovery will take time," Chen Fengying, an economist and former director of the Institute of World Economic Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday.

Chinese companies clinched 76 percent of all global shipbuilding orders in April, becoming the No 1 shipbuilder in the world, according to latest industry data, highlighting China's increasingly prominent role in the global shipbuilding industry. 

Industry analysts note that the US' protectionism cannot stop Chinese shipbuilders' rise. 

According to Clarkson Research, a provider of shipping and trade data released on Tuesday, global shipbuilding orders in April reached 4.71 million compensated gross tons (CGT) for 121 vessels, marking a 24-percent year-on-year increase. Chinese firms secured 3.58 million CGT (76 percent, 91 vessels), ranking the first; while the runner-up South Korea obtained 670,000 CGT (14 percent, 13 vessels).

Additionally, as of the end of April, unfinished orders decreased by 100,000 CGT compared to the previous month, amounting to 129.91 million CGT. China and South Korea accounted for 64.86 million CGT (50 percent) and 39.10 million CGT (30 percent) of those orders, respectively.

"China's leading position in shipbuilding has been set up since the 14th Five-Year Plan starts. While previously excelling in mid-to-low-tier market segment, China is now vigorously advancing into high-end shipbuilding domain such as making LNG vessels. Efforts by Chinese shipbuilders have garnered considerable acclaim in the world," Tian Yun, a veteran economist told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In addition to the gains in manufacturing capacity, China has also made significant breakthroughs in ship maintenance, garnering growing demand both domestically and abroad. Overall, the market now appears to be a showdown between China and South Korea, according to Tian.

Shipbuilding, known as the one of crown jewels of manufacturing, which spans over 50 sectors and boasts an extensive supply chain. 

Since 2019, China's ship completions have risen steadily. In January-September 2023, China accounted for 46 percent of global completed tonnage, 63.5 percent of the new orders, ranking first worldwide.

Market watchers said that China will continue to enjoy the dominant position in the global shipbuilding market within a decade, due to its strong supply chain capabilities and increasingly eco-friendly tech advancements.

As China makes steady gains in shipbuilding, the US is worrying about losing another key industrial sector. Seeking to stymie Chinese shipbuilders, the US government launched a so-called Section 301 investigation on April 17, citing alleged "unfair economic practices" by China in maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding domains.

China's Ministry of Commerce rebuffed the US accusation, calling it baseless and a distortion of normal trade and investment activities. China isn't responsible for the US shipbuilding industry's lagging behind, resulting from the US' excessive protectionism. China's industrial growth is fueled by technological innovation and free market competition, not the non-market practices as alleged by the US, the ministry said.

Two Chinese mega-cities, Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province and Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said on Thursday they would lift all home purchase restrictions to shore up the local real estate market and boost market confidence. It follows similar moves recently in other big cities like Chengdu, Shenzhen and Beijing.

The city housing authority in Hangzhou said in a notice that it will no longer review the qualifications of homebuyers, with the restrictions on residential property purchases having lasted for eight years, the Xinhua News Agency reported. This comes after Hangzhou announced last October it would narrow the scope of home purchase restrictions to four core districts, including Shangcheng district. It also announced the removal of all restrictions on home purchases starting from May 9.

Xi'an, the capital city of Shaanxi Province, has announced similar measures. The local authorities said they will remove all restrictions on residential property purchases and will no longer review the qualifications of homebuyers for both new and second-hand homes.

As of Thursday, a total of 35 Chinese cities have relaxed restrictions on home purchases, while 24 have completely scrapped all curbs on residential property purchases. In addition, more than 160 cities have adopted home-buying loosening policies, CCTV News reported.

These measures will encourage other cities to follow suit and will boost market confidence, Chinese analysts said.

More regions and cities in China will start a new wave of policy relaxation, along with promotions by developers, Yan Yuejin, research director at Shanghai-based E-house China R&D Institute, said on Thursday.

Chinese authorities have been ramping up measures to prop up the real estate sector recently. The most recent meeting of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Political Bureau on April 30 called for measures to support the property sector, saying that city-specific policies should be implemented, and that local governments, real estate enterprises and financial institutions must shoulder their share of responsibilities to ensure the delivery of housing projects and to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of homebuyers.

Combining the new changes in the relationship between supply and demand in the real estate market and people's aspirations for high-quality housing, it is imperative to conduct research on policies and measures to reduce housing inventory and improve the quality of new housing in a coordinated manner. New modes for the development of the real estate sector will be fostered to boost the sector's high-quality development, according to Xinhua.

China is now advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, and China's high-quality development and opening-up will provide more opportunities for Hungary, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

Xi made the remarks at a farewell event held here by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his wife.

On May 3, Yichang Public Security Bureau in Central China's Hubei Province made history by deploying a "robot police dog" for the first time in the province for practical use. 

In order to alleviate the strain on police and enhance security in the area, Hubei's first robot police dog officially entered duty in Yichang city on May 3. 

Jointly operating with real police dogs, the robot dog was sent to patrol, identify suspects, and conduct anti-fraud campaigns in the Three Gorges Dam scenic area, The Paper reported on Monday.

As a newcomer to Yichang Public Security Bureau, the robot dog attracted a crowd of onlookers. With two large "eyes" on its back constantly monitoring the movements of people around it, any suspicious individuals were immediately detected by its monitoring team, according to local media reports.

Chen Peng, general manager of Wuba Intelligent Technology (Hangzhou) Company, explained, "It has the ability to autonomously patrol 24 hours every day, complementing traditional security monitoring devices. It can enter crowds and identify individuals at close range. When police officers or police dogs are tired, the robot dog can patrol continuously without interruption, and it can replace humans in bomb disposal and other dangerous settings."

Due to heavy rain, police officers were conducting indoor patrols on May 3, while the fearless robt police dog was responsible for outdoor patrols. When the children caught sight of the adorable mechanical police dog getting wet in the rain, they even came up to hold an umbrella for it. However, a little water is nothing to the robot dog, as it can work normally even in temperatures as high as 60 C or as low as minus 40 C.

When the robot police dog noticed a visitor had left their bag on a bench, it would alert, "Lost item found."

Visitors welcomed the patrols of the new robot dog. A visitor surnamed Zhang said, "Some elderly people and children may be afraid of large dogs. I hope we could see mechanical police dogs in various scenic spots in Hubei in the future."

Although the mechanical police dog is currently only responsible for basic tasks such as autonomous patrols and order guidance, it will soon unlock more capabilities. 

Jiang Weiwei, a police officer from Yichang Public Security Bureau, said, "Next, we will combine the application of big data in public security to give the robot dog the most powerful brain. Through the collaboration between the robot dog and police officers, we aim to enhance grassroots police capabilities in tracking, rescue, reconnaissance, identification, and other fields."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's ongoing visit to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in the South Pacific is a way of balancing the impact of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's China trip, which exposed deep political divisions within the German government, said Chinese analysts when commenting on Baerbock's recent remarks in which she warned against becoming too reliant on China.

While Scholz recently visited China and reached many positive agreements, Germany's foreign and economic departments, controlled by the far-right Greens, have been at odds with the Social Democratic Party led by Scholz, especially on China policy, which could affect China-Germany cooperation and hinder Germany's own economic and social recovery, analysts warned. At the same time, they believe sustainable cooperation remains the dominant factor in China-Germany relations.

According to a report by the German Press Agency (DPA), Baerbock is setting off on a week-long visit to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and is using the trip to send a message to China, the report said.

During her visit to Australia, which was her first to the country, Baerbock said Germany has overhauled its strategic approach to China to avoid a repeat of the past when the NATO member failed to realize the extent of its economic dependence on Russia, Australian media outlet ABC reported on Sunday.

Baerbock, who is a Greens politician within Chancellor Scholz's coalition, said Germany has now developed a comprehensive China policy to diversify its supply chains, while maintaining a strong trade relationship with Beijing, ABC reported.

Baerbock set off on the South Pacific trip just weeks after Scholz concluded his China trip in April. Analysts said Scholz's "high-profile" visit to China was a return to the normalcy of bilateral relations.

It is clear that Baerbock rushed to visit the South Pacific in order to strike a "diplomatic balance" on China policy, Liu Zuokui, a research fellow on European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

Now, more and more people and corporations in the international community are increasingly focusing on and optimistic about China's market and economic potential, a sentiment shared by Scholz, who aims to lead Germany in developing close cooperation with China, Liu said.

However, Baerbock and her far-right party are heavily biased in ideology, prioritizing values and security risks over economic cooperation, conflicting with Scholz's advocacy for pragmatic cooperation with China, Liu noted.

As a result, cooperation between Germany and China could face various disruptions, something that is supported and welcomed by the US, Liu warned. He noted that the German federal elections next year will be crucial in determining whether the German government can effectively manage these internal political struggles and contradictions.

"However, we believe that the closeness of business and economic cooperation will always remain the mainstream in China-Germany relations," Liu stressed.

Germany has been China's largest trading partner in Europe for 49 consecutive years, while China has been Germany's largest global trading partner for eight consecutive years. The facts show that practical cooperation is not just an option, but a necessity.

Also during Baerbock's visit to New Zealand on Saturday, the foreign minister did not rule out the possibility of a German frigate crossing the Taiwan Straits, DPA reported.

According to DPA, German frigate Baden-Württemberg and a supply ship will set off on Tuesday on a training mission to the Pacific lasting several months. The vessels will enter the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal and later also cross the South China Sea.

In 2021, German frigate Bayern took part in maneuvers with allies at the time, but avoided Taiwan during its voyage to the Pacific, DPA reported.

If the German frigate crosses the Taiwan Straits, it would be a very dangerous and irrational move for China-Germany relations, Chinese analysts warned. They said hyping the Taiwan question will not bring any benefits to Germany, but will only disrupt the normal development of its ties with China and affect Germany's national interests.

Politicians like Baerbock are trying to gain domestic votes by hyping up the Taiwan question, as those politicians' considerations are more focused on personal and party interests rather than their country's interests, Liu believes.

If German frigates were to cross the Taiwan Straits, China would likely respond resolutely and forcefully, Liu said.

A think tank report titled "China-EU Cooperation on Environment and Climate: Progress and Prospects" was released globally on Friday.

The report was jointly released by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, the National Energy Conservation Center, the Xinhua Institute and the Institutes of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It consists of five sections, namely the introduction, bilateral joint efforts to build a community of all life on Earth, deepened bilateral cooperation to address climate change, concrete progress in bilateral cooperation on the eco-environment, and steady long-term development of bilateral cooperation concerning the environment and climate.

In the face of ecological and environmental challenges, China and the European Union (EU), the largest developing country and the largest union of developed countries, respectively, must shoulder their responsibilities, carry out cooperation on the environment and climate, and work together to maintain sustainable development of the Earth, according to the report.

Noting green as the distinctive color of China-EU cooperation, the report said this cooperation not only enriches and develops the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, but also directly advances the environmental governance, trade and investment of both sides, benefiting the entire world.

Looking at the future, the two sides should work together to promote more in-depth and pragmatic cooperation, further dovetail their environmental and climate policies through high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, establish a long-term cooperation framework, and promote global environmental governance and climate action, the report stated.

The report also called for the further strengthening of the bilateral green partnership, and jointly building a community of all life on Earth, and make contributions to promoting a cleaner and more beautiful world.

The China International Communications Group (CICG) has joined the 2024 Foire de Paris, which commenced on Wednesday, hosting a Chinese cultural exhibition as well as other exchange activities.  

More than 100 delegates from the cultural, translation, publishing and business sectors of both China and France participated in the event. 

The exhibition that CICG hosted features Chinese culture, including symbols of Central Plains, Harmony, Yellow River, Yangtze River, Greater Bay Area, ethnic minority cultures, and the iconic Chinese dragon.

The exhibition featured about 600 varieties and 2,000 unique exhibits including themed books, bronze and porcelain artifacts, arts and crafts, and cultural creative products. 

Notable book exhibits include multilingual series books like China's classical novels series and the Yangtze River culture series. Exhibited bronze and porcelain artifacts include the Four-goat Square Zun (which dates back more than 3,000 years), Jun porcelain from Henan and Ru porcelain.

Art exhibits include Chinese character art, Henan embroidery bird-and-flower paintings, and cultural creative products like Loong Dwen Dwen (the Chinese zodiac's Dragon version of Bing Dwen Dwen, a Beijing Winter Olympic Games mascot).

During the exhibition, various activities such as traditional Chinese music performances and tea culture experiences were also organized.

In addition to the exhibition, a series of thematic events such as "Beijing theme Day," "National Museum Theme Day," and "Shandong theme Day" were organized, alongside dialogues including a "Beijing meets Paris" event and Sino-French dialogues to promote cultural exchange between China and France.

Du Zhanyuan, the president of the CICG, said at the opening ceremony that 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, as well as the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism. This exhibition, through an innovative combination of cultural exhibits, literary and artistic performances, cultural and creative sales, and entertainment experiences helps enhance the understanding of audiences from various countries about contemporary China. 

Vincent Montagne, president of the French Publishers Association and chairman of the Paris Book Fair, said that at the important moment of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, hosting a thematic exhibition on Chinese culture presents an excellent opportunity for both countries to deepen their friendship in literature, art, culture, and among their peoples. He also expressed optimism for enhanced cooperation between the publishing industries of China and France.