Looking ahead

Events and stories coming up in the next few days

Customs agency to release trade data for June

The General Administration of Customs will release the export and import data for June on Thursday. In May, exports in yuan-denominated terms hit 1.32 trillion yuan ($194 billion), up by 15.5 percent year-on-year, higher than market expectations. Imports grew by 22.1 percent in the same month. The value of total foreign trade reached 2.35 trillion yuan in May, up by 18.3 percent year-on-year. Machinery, electronics and clothing exports rose in the first five months, while labor-intensive products such as fertilizer, steel and automobiles saw shrinking orders.

China Internet Conference attracts 500 delegates

The China Internet Conference will be held in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday. The annual event has attracted more than 500 officials, entrepreneurs and scholars from home and abroad. Li Kaifu, founder and CEO of Innovation Works, and Shen Zhiyong, head of Baidu's big data lab, will address delegates. The event has been organized by the Internet Society of China.

Briefing planned on the performance of SOEs

The State Council Information Office will hold a media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday on the performance of the State-owned enterprises in the first half of the year. Shen Ying, chief accountant of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, will attend.

Country braces for the hottest days of summer

Wednesday marks the start of sanfu, which refers to the period lasting about 30 to 40 days when the hottest time of the year occurs under the traditional Chinese calendar. This year's sanfu lasts until Aug 21. Chinese people traditionally eat jiaozi, or dumplings, during this time. Temperatures in North China are forecast to hit 40 C in the coming 10 days.