China sees faster growth in fixed asset investment in first two months of 2025

China

China sees faster growth in fixed asset investment in first two months of 2025

2025-03-17 11:01 Last Updated At：18:57

China's fixed asset investment grew at a faster pace than a year earlier, with investment in high-tech industries going up significantly, according to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.

The investment totaled 5.2619 trillion yuan (about 734 billion U.S. dollars) during the January-February period, up 4.1 percent year on year and 0.9 percentage points higher than the full-year growth rate of 2024, said Fu Linghui, an NBS spokesman, at a press conference in Beijing,

"Excluding the property sector, the investment in fixed assets went up by 8.4 percent. Specifically, investment in infrastructure construction grew by 5.6 percent year on year, manufacturing investment rose by 9.0 percent, real estate development declined by 9.8 percent. New commercial housing sales shrank 5.1 percent year on year in terms of floor area to 107.46 million square meters, a reduction of 7.8 percentage points smaller than last year's full-year decline. In terms of value, new commercial housing sales dropped 2.6 percent year on year to nearly 1.026 trillion yuan, with the decrease narrowing by 14.5 percentage points," said Fu.

Investment in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors went up by 12.2 percent, 11.4 percent, and 0.7 percent, respectively, according to Fu.

"The private investment maintained the same level as that of last year, increasing by 6.0 percent excluding the real estate sector. The investment in high-tech industries grew by 9.7 percent year on year, of which investment in information services, e-commerce services, computer and office device manufacturing, aerospace vehicle and equipment manufacturing grew by 66.4 percent, 31.9 percent, 31.6 percent, and 27.1 percent, respectively. In February, the investment in fixed assets (excluding rural households) edged up by 0.49 percent over that of the previous month," said Fu.

Thailand to release detained Cambodian soldiers once peace is restored: official

Thailand will release detained Cambodian soldiers once peace is restored, a Thai official said on Saturday, after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire following days of heavy clashes.

The ceasefire was agreed following intense discussions at General Border Committee (GBC) meetings between Cambodia and Thailand in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province.

Under the agreement, the truce took effect at noon local time and will be monitored by both sides for 72 hours. The Thai government said it reached the agreement after considering the impact of the crisis on the country's economy and international standing.

"Once peace has been restored, civilians can return to their homes safely. Thailand will then release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers," said Thai Defense Minister Gen. Nattaphon Narkphanit at a press conference after the meeting.

Thailand, in turn, expressed hope that Cambodian authorities will allow Thai citizens remaining in Cambodia to return safely.

The coming hours will be a key test of mutual trust. The two countries have agreed to keep communication channels open and work together to combat disinformation, which has complicated negotiations. Thailand also expects Cambodia to assist in clearing landmines in disputed areas.

Thailand said it is watching closely to see whether the ceasefire will be fully implemented, while remaining prepared to defend itself if hostilities resume.

"The ceasefire must be sincerely conducted and maintained. We are going to wait. That is why we have the 72-hour monitoring period in place. If things are not settled within the 72 hours, we will fall back to our protocol of using our right to defend our country," said Thai Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee.

Prior to the ceasefire, the situation along the border was tense. During the General Border Committee talks, airstrikes and clashes occurred almost daily, with frontline control shifting frequently, taking a heavy toll on civilians.