Editor's note: China achieved solid gains in high-quality development after a package of incremental policies were issued, which boosted social confidence and led to a remarkable economic recovery, thereby enabling the accomplishment of the main targets of socio-economic development.

China will continue to relax market access, expand institutional openness and foster a more enabling business climate, in order to better attract and utilize foreign investment, especially in the face of rising global protectionism and escalating geopolitical tensions, officials and experts said on Wednesday.

As persistent economic headwinds have dampened the confidence of global investors, China's supersized market, coupled with its robust manufacturing capabilities and extensive supply chain networks, has become a major draw for foreign companies looking to expand their global footprint, they said.

Offshore renminbi bond issuances more than doubled last year while panda bond issuances surged, highlighting the steady progress made by the Chinese currency in gaining traction in global markets, official data showed on Tuesday.

The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, said that the issuances of panda bonds — onshore renminbi bonds issued by overseas financial institutions and enterprises — reached almost 200 billion yuan ($27.3 billion) in 2024, a 32 percent increase from the previous year.

BEIJING -- China's cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors hit a record high in 2024, an official with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said on Tuesday.

The cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors increased by 14.6 percent year-on-year to $14.3 trillion last year, Li Bin, deputy head of the SAFE, told a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.

Despite growing external challenges and uncertainties, China's exports will remain resilient and dynamic in 2025, bolstered by a diverse product range, flexible growth drivers and a stable, multifaceted market, said government officials and exporters on Monday.

Addressing a news conference in Beijing, Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said that Chinese-manufactured products are in high demand worldwide, driven by a strong and continuously evolving industrial system and sustained investment in innovation.

BEIJING - China does not pursue a trade surplus, and the country's trade balance is shaped by broader international market forces rather than deliberate intervention, an official said on Monday.

Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, made the remarks in response to a question about the trade surplus during a press conference on China's 2024 trade performance.

BEIJING - The so-called "overcapacity" in China's exports is pure fallacy, said a Chinese customs official on Monday.

There is no such thing as overcapacity in China, whether viewed from the perspective of comparative advantage or global market demand, Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, told a press conference when responding to a question about the US government's claim of overcapacity in Chinese exports.

The total value of China's foreign trade reached a record high of 43.85 trillion yuan ($5.98 trillion) in 2024, marking a 5 percent year-on-year growth, statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed.

China's exports amounted to 25.45 trillion yuan last year, reflecting a 7.1 percent year-on-year increase, while imports totaled 18.39 trillion yuan, marking a 2.3 percent rise compared to the previous year.

China, with more forceful countercyclical adjustments in mind, will steer toward "very proactive" fiscal policy this year — including increasing the deficit-to-GDP ratio and issuing larger-scale government bonds, and will "front-load" its fiscal firepower to better underpin a positive economic growth trajectory, Vice-Minister of Finance Liao Min said on Friday.

As China navigates the everchanging domestic and international landscapes, policymakers are well-equipped with "ample policy space and a diverse tool kit", Liao said at a news conference, stressing that the country will resort to policy reserves should new circumstances call for them.

"Given the steady growth in China's GDP, the increase in the deficit ratio will translate into a substantial expansion of the overall budget deficit, allowing for a further increase in total fiscal expenditures and a more forceful implementation of countercyclical adjustments," Liao said.

BEIJING - The size of China's fiscal deficit will increase significantly in 2025, Liao Min, vice-minister of finance, told a press conference Friday.

Noting that the fiscal deficit ratio will be increased in 2025, Liao said considering the increasing size of China's GDP, the total fiscal expenditure will further be expanded, and countercyclical adjustment efforts will also be stepped up to provide solid support for the sustained recovery of the economy.

BEIJING - China's fiscal operation was generally stable in 2024 and is expected to achieve a balanced budget for the year, China's Vice-Minister of Finance Liao Min said Friday.

BEIJING -- The number of registered business entities in China rose 3.1 percent year-on-year to 189 million by the end of 2024, an official from the State Administration for Market Regulation said on Friday.

In the first three quarters of last year, the country saw about 7.22 million newly-registered business entities handling tax-related businesses, expanding 17.4 percent year-on-year, Shu Wei, deputy head of the administration, told a press conference.

Consumer rights protection efforts have also seen advancements, with authorities recovering over 4.72 billion yuan ($656.69 million) in economic losses from complaints and reports, up 17.1 percent year-on-year, Shu said.

The State Administration for Market Regulation, the country's top market regulator, said on Friday that it plans to implement stringent oversight of online platforms and livestream e-commerce, as part of a broader effort to ensure fair competition and protect smaller businesses.

Speaking at a press briefing of the State Council on Friday, the nation's Cabinet, Shu Wei, deputy head of the SAMR, said more efforts will be made to make platform rules more transparent, lower operational costs for merchants and clean up the e-commerce ecosystem, to ensure a healthier market environment.

China has made new progress in water management over the past year. Click the video to see the highlights.

China has made new progress in water management over the past years. Here are some highlights.

Editor's note: China has made remarkable achievements in high-quality development last year, with the country's strength in economy, technology, environment and public services continuing to increase.

Chinese policymakers will significantly increase the issuance of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds in 2025 to stimulate consumption and fund key national projects, the country's top economic regulator said on Friday.

Economists said it is part of the country's broader efforts to spur domestic demand amid external uncertainties this year, saying policymakers will adopt "more proactive" fiscal and monetary policies to boost domestic consumption and expand effective investment.

China's policymakers will increase the issuance of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds in 2025, with a broader scope for their expenditure, the country's top economic regulator said on Friday. 

Yuan Da, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the special treasury bonds will be used to promote the programs for large-scale equipment renewals and trade-in deals for consumer goods, further support major national strategies and build up security capacity in key areas.

"This year, we will extend the program and expand the scope to more consumption fields," Yuan told a news conference held on Friday in Beijing.

BEIJING -- China will significantly increase the issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds in 2025 to support the implementation of large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs, according to a government press conference held here Friday.

Yuan Da, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the government would expand the scope of areas eligible for funding support, including electronic information, production safety, and agriculture facilities. Consumers will receive subsidies to purchase three categories of digital products: mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches and wristbands.

BEIJING -- When setting economic growth targets for 2025, China will consider both needs and possibilities and ensure coherence with medium and long-term planning, an official with the country's top economic planner said on Friday.

A senior National Development and Reform Commission official, Yuan Da, told a press conference that China's economy will face many new difficulties and challenges in 2025. The external environment is becoming more complex and severe, with deepening adverse impacts.

However, Yuan believes there are "positive factors". China's economy has a stable foundation, multiple advantages, strong resilience and great potential. Further comprehensive deepening of reforms, development of new quality productive forces, and boosting the domestic circulation of the economy will stimulate the internal momentum of economic development.