China's foreign trade demonstrated strong resilience in the first half of the year, characterized by increased volume, improved quality, and controllable variables, said Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Wang highlighted the country's robust performance in foreign trade despite a challenging global environment.
"Despite the complex and challenging global environment, China's foreign trade has demonstrated strong resilience this year marked by increased total volume, improved quality, and controllable variables. For nine consecutive quarters, China's imports and exports have remained above 10 trillion yuan (approximately 1.39 trillion U.S. dollars). In the first half of this year, China's total imports and exports increased by more than 600 billion yuan compared to the same period last year," said Wang.
Wang also noted improvements in trade quality aligned with the global energy transition.
"Chinese foreign trade enterprises have capitalized on the global trend of energy transition by increasing the supply of high-quality green products and accelerating the exploration of new fields and new sectors. In the first half of the year, exports of lithium batteries and wind power generating sets both rose by over 20 percent year on year. Last year, China ranked second globally in industrial robot exports, and in the first half of this year, exports in this sector surged 61.5 percent year on year," said Wang.
While addressing the rising challenges of unilateralism and protectionism, Wang emphasized China's commitment to fostering global trade cooperation.
"In the face of unilateralism and protectionism, China has expanded its circle of friends and strengthened economic and trade cooperation to bolster business confidence and to better navigate the rapid shifts in the external environment. In the first half of the year, China saw growth in its trade with over 190 countries and regions. Meanwhile, the number of our trading partners with trade value above 50 billion yuan reached 61, five more than last year," he said.
China's foreign trade shows strong resilience in H1: customs official
The U.S. military strike against Venezuela and capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro, has shocked the international community, triggering a steady stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain issued a joint statement on Sunday, expressing serious concern about and firm opposition to the U.S. unilateral military operations in Venezuela.
The U.S. actions contravene fundamental principles of international law, particularly the prohibition on the use or threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, as enshrined in the UN Charter, constituting an extremely dangerous precedent against peace and regional security, according to the statement.
In expressing profound concern and firm rejection, the six countries stressed in the statement that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively by peaceful means, and through dialogue, negotiation and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law.
Only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic, sustainable solution that respects human dignity, according to the statement.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the U.S. raid in Venezuela as a violation of international law, adding that the Spanish government always advocates and defends international law and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Addressing a meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez demanded the unconditional and immediate release of Maduro and his wife.
Noting that Latin America and the Caribbean are a zone of peace, he expressed his firm opposition to the use of force, which is an unshakable principle.
Any aggression against Venezuela shall be regarded as an attack against all CELAC member states, and nations must collectively oppose it, he stressed.
The South African government denounced the U.S. attack on Venezuela as a violation of international law, according to a statement released on Sunday.
History has repeatedly demonstrated that military invasions against sovereign states yield only instability and deepening crisis, the statement said.
South Africa calls on the UN Security Council to urgently convene a session to address this situation, according to the statement.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said what happened in Venezuela demonstrates that international law and the UN Charter are losing their practical effectiveness.
U.S. military action against Venezuela marks a dangerous precedent, as similar actions could be taken against any other nations, he said.
In addition, the foreign ministries of Namibia, Singapore, Oman and Pakistan also issued statements on the same day, expressing grave concern over U.S. interference in Venezuela's internal affairs.
They emphasized the need to uphold international law and the principles of the UN Charter while respecting Venezuela's sovereignty.
They also called on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through peaceful dialogue.
U.S. move against Venezuela sparks condemnation, concerns worldwide
