China's provincial-level regions show good economic growth momentum

All 31 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government have posted the economic performance data for the first half of 2025, showcasing robust growth momentum while highlighting key pillars for sustained development in the second half.

Among all the provincial-level regions, southern Chinese coastal province Guangdong and east China's Jiangsu remain firmly in the "six-trillion-yuan GDP club", a term referring to cities in the Chinese mainland whose annual GDPs reach or exceed six trillion yuan (nearly 832 billion U.S. dollars).

According to the reports, provincial-level regions in central and western China performed exceptionally well in the first six months of the year.

In terms of economic aggregate, Guangdong topped the chart with its GDP of 6.87 trillion yuan, trailed by Jiangsu's 6.7 trillion and Shandong's first-half haul of above five trillion.

Growth-wise, 20 provincial-level regions, like the autonomous region Xizang, Ningxia and Xinjiang, and provinces like Gansu, Hubei, and Jiangsu, achieved year-on-year GDP growth exceeding the national average of 5.3 percent in the first half of the year. Regarding growth momentum, advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing industries in many regions saw rapid growth, and emerging industries showed strong development momentum.

In the first six months, the added value of advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing increased by 5.9 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively, making up 55.4 percent and 33.0 percent of output growth of industries with annual revenue of 20 million yuan or more from their main business operations.

"We should increase support for emerging and future industries, while making the leading enterprises stronger, and further stimulating the new potential of small and medium-sized enterprises," said Gong Xiaofeng, director of the Institute of Emerging Industry Development in the Greater Bay Area with Shenzhen University.

Local governments in China have been huddling to map out the home stretch, focusing on achieving the annual economic growth target, with the three major aspects -- expanding domestic demand, fostering new quality productive forces, and stabilizing foreign trade -- expected to become the cores.

China's provincial-level regions show good economic growth momentum

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"