China’s core CPI picks up in March

China's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, recorded a narrower year-on-year decline in March, while the core CPI, which excludes food and energy, experienced a notable rebound, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Thursday.

Statistics issued by the NBS showed that in March, CPI fell by 0.4 percent month-on-month and decreased by 0.1 percent compared to the same period last year, with a significant narrowing of the decline.

This rebound in the core CPI reflects the emerging impact of policies aimed at stimulating consumer demand. Improved dynamics between supply and demand are driving positive price trends, signaling potential stabilization in the market. With warmer weather in March, fresh food products entered the market in abundance, ensuring a plentiful supply. Month-on-month, the prices of fresh vegetables, pork, eggs, and fruits all experienced declines.

As a result of fewer travelers during the tourism off-season, travel-related expenses have declined. Additionally, the continued drop in global oil prices has led to a noticeable month-on-month reduction in domestic gasoline costs.

Meanwhile, trade-in policies for consumer goods are starting to show results, contributing to a broader rise in the prices of industrial consumer goods. Items such as household appliances, gold jewelry, and clothing experienced monthly price increases that surpassed the decade-long average for the same period.

From a year-on-year perspective, the year-on-year decline in the CPI significantly narrowed. In particular, the core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, saw a notable rebound with a 0.5 percent increase year-on-year.

"With the recovery of real estate market in some popular cities, prices for housing have also stabilized to some extent. Driven by policies aimed at boosting consumption, sales of key products such as smartphones, automobiles, and household appliances have been robust, and prices have recovered," said He Xiaoying, deputy head, analysis and prediction division, Price Monitoring Center, National Development and Reform Commission.

China’s core CPI picks up in March

China’s core CPI picks up in March

China Media Group (CMG) on Wednesday aired a grand New Year gala to welcome the arrival of 2026 with celebrations focused on the richness of Chinese culture, and blending traditional arts with contemporary creativity in a nationwide showcase of unity and joy.

Titled "Sail into 2026," the gala was staged in Lyuliang City, north China's Shanxi Province, and featured over 60 meticulously crafted performances. From vibrant song and dance routines to performances of traditional Chinese instrumental music, opera and martial arts, the gala embraced a wide variety of artistic styles, reflecting the depth of cultural heritage and the spirit of contemporary innovation.

The show vividly captured regional transformations across China, from the innovative dynamism of the Yangtze River Delta in east China to the cultural vitality of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the northern part of the country. It also presented the energetic harmony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area city cluster in the south, as well as heartfelt New Year wishes from China's Taiwan region.

The gala also shone a spotlight on ordinary individuals who made a difference in 2025. It also featured fresh works from a new wave of public cultural creators. Through these stories and performances, the gala offered a panoramic celebration of people nationwide joyfully embracing the New Year, together painting a hopeful picture of peace, prosperity and unity.

The gala was broadcast live at 20:00 on December 31 across CMG platforms including CCTV-1, CCTV-3, major radio frequencies, and new media outlets such as CCTV News.

CMG presents culture-rich New Year Gala to ring in 2026