China

China Daily | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

Global economic growth is expected to slow to 2.6 percent in 2025, down from 2.9 percent in 2024, amid a challenging external environment. However, China is projected to remain a reliable growth engine and a pillar of stability for the world, supported by rapid export market diversification, proactive fiscal policies, infrastructure investments, and an accommodative monetary stance.

A notable "dynamic stability" between China and the United States established in late October reflects a mutual willingness to engage in dialogue and create new trade rules and certainties, providing a positive signal for the global economy. Despite this, global growth is expected to stay subdued in 2026 at 2.6 percent, with some risks from the slowdown after front-loaded imports, though new technologies like artificial intelligence offer potential benefits.

China's GDP growth forecast for 2025 was raised by the IMF to 5 percent and by the Asian Development Bank to 4.8 percent. China recorded a 5.2 percent year-on-year GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2025. Its foreign trade showed resilience with total goods imports and exports reaching 41.21 trillion yuan ($5.82 trillion) in the first 11 months of the year, an increase of 3.6 percent year-on-year.

China’s export competitiveness is increasingly driven by innovation, supply chain resilience, and a strategic shift towards higher value-added sectors, beyond just pricing advantages. The country is actively opening its domestic market and promoting high-quality imports to balance trade growth. Additionally, China continues to foster inclusive development by leveraging its large market to support growth opportunities in the Global South.

Xinhua | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Climate Change

A new study published in Nature Climate Change by scientists from Nanjing University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that abrupt and significant daily temperature fluctuations are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change. These sharp temperature swings are becoming more extreme across low to mid-latitude regions, driven primarily by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, as confirmed through optimal fingerprinting techniques.

Climate projections indicate that under a high-emissions scenario, the frequency of these sudden temperature changes could rise by approximately 17 percent and their intensity by 20 percent by 2100, impacting regions that house over 80 percent of the global population. The physical cause involves global warming worsening soil drought, increasing variability in sea-level pressure and soil moisture, which reduces land thermal capacity and intensifies fluctuations in cloud cover and solar radiation.

The study also highlights significant health risks linked to these abrupt temperature variations, including increased mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, based on data from Jiangsu Province in China and the United States. The researchers call for global scientific recognition of extreme day-to-day temperature variability as a distinct type of extreme weather event, given its implications for public health and ecosystem stability.

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Guangming Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEnergy Prices

On December 3, 2025, the Gulong continental shale oil demonstration area in Daqing surpassed an annual production of one million tons, marking a significant milestone in the large-scale, efficient exploitation of shale oil. The development started in 2021 with a production of 15,000 tons, steadily increasing each year through technical breakthroughs and independent innovation, positioning Gulong shale oil as a strategic resource to enhance China's national energy security.

Daqing Oilfield overcame major challenges unique to Gulong shale oil, such as high clay content and complex geological characteristics that made conventional fracturing methods ineffective. Initial attempts to apply North American fracturing technology failed, leading the team to develop their own exclusive fracturing process tailored to local conditions. This indigenous process, which includes using higher-quality desert quartz sand, has enabled stable production and improved efficiency while controlling costs.

The development of Gulong shale oil embodies the enduring "Daqing spirit" of perseverance and innovation, with drilling teams setting regional records despite difficult strata. Single wells have achieved notable stable outputs, and year-one production declines have been more favorable than those in North America. The project plans to expand beyond the current Q9 oil layer to deeper reserves with three-dimensional multi-layer fracturing, addressing complex engineering challenges for coordinated fracture network development.

Looking forward, Daqing Oilfield aims to increase annual shale oil production to 3 million tons by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan and 5 million tons by the end of the 16th Five-Year Plan. Continued technological breakthroughs and resource development will support the goal of building a century-old oilfield and contributing to China's energy security. The company emphasizes unwavering dedication to overcoming technical bottlenecks and maximizing resource potential as part of its national mission.