More than 49 million consumers have applied for China's electronic products trade-in subsidies to purchase smartphones and other digital devices, with over 51 million relevant products sold, generating a total sales of 143 billion yuan (about 19.9 billion U.S. dollars), data from the commerce ministry showed Friday.
China started to offer subsidies for electronic products trade-in from Jan. 20 as the country expanded the scope of consumer goods trade-in program to further boost consumption.
Under the plan, individual consumers purchasing smartphones, tablets, smartwatches or wristbands priced below 6,000 yuan (835 U.S. dollars) per item will receive a subsidy covering 15 percent of the product's sales price.
Each consumer can receive a maximum subsidy of 500 yuan (about 69 U.S. dollars) per item, with a limit of one subsidized item per category, according to the plan.
Data show that from January to April, the subsidy policy has contributed to a shift in consumption patterns toward mid- to high-end products.
Specifically, the sales of mobile phones priced below 6,000 yuan (835 U.S. dollars) per unit saw a year-on-year increase of 4.8 percent in volume and 14.8 percent in sales value. Meanwhile, the sales volume of mobile phones priced between 2,000 and 4,000 yuan (278 U.S. dollars to 556 U.S. dollars) per unit and between 4,000 and 6,000 yuan (278 U.S. dollars to 835 U.S. dollars) per unit surged by 13 and 43 percent in the four-month period, respectively.
China sells over 51 mln digital products under trade-in program
China closed 2025 with a record of 92 space launches and major breakthroughs were made in manned space launches, deep space exploration and commercial launches, according to the China National Space Administration.
"In 2025, we created a new launch record, sending more than 300 satellites into planned orbits. Both the number of launches and the number of payloads placed in orbit have achieved qualitative leapfrog development," said Zhu Haiyang, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest single mission duration in the history of China's manned space program. Following the Shenzhou-20, the Shenzhou-21 achieved the fastest rendezvous and docking in the history of the Shenzhou mission in just three hours and a half.
Facing an unexpected technical situation with the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, China immediately activated emergency plans. Within 16 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a "textbook model" for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies.
In deep space exploration, the Tianwen-2 probe embarked on its journey for China's first asteroid exploration and sample-return mission in 2025.
Last year also saw intensive launch activities from multiple commercial rocket types, injecting strong momentum into the country's commercial space development.
As China has kicked off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), a new blueprint for the country's space program is unfolding. Multiple tests are planned in preparation for future lunar exploration, as Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched for the lunar south pole to search for evidence of water ice. The industry is also preparing for the maiden flights of several new rocket types, which will include the challenges to test rocket recovery and reusability technologies.
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
