China's imports and exports with Belt and Road countries grew 6.2 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters, 2.2 percentage points higher than China's overall trade growth rate over the period, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).
Imports and exports with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries totaled 17.37 trillion yuan (about 2.44 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first nine months, Wang Jun, deputy head of the GAC, said Monday at a press conference on China's trade figures for the first three quarters of 2025.
"On the import side, 64.6 percent of China's bulk-commodity import volumes and 69.1 percent of its agricultural product import values came from BRI partner countries. On the export side, shipments to BRI partner countries rose 16.6 percent for electronic and information products, 37 percent for high-end equipment, and 58 percent for wind-turbine sets," Wang said.
The official also revealed that according to the latest results, the Trade Index of China and BRI Partner Countries rose from the base value of 100 in 2013 to 198 in 2024.
China's trade with Belt and Road partners up 6.2 pct in first 9 months: official
Though tens of billions of pesos spent on flood control projects in recent years in the Philippines, questions have been raised about the value of that investment as flooding from Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and 127 missing, with more than 2.14 million people affected nationwide.
In Talisay City, Cebu Province, homes have been reduced to rubble, mud has clogged up streets and families are left picking through the wreckage of homes that have been swept away by floodwaters.
"I saw a banana being washed away and I grabbed it for breakfast. It's very hard because our food at home, like rice, also got washed away. We used to live here, but most of our houses have been swept away,”said Mary Jean Apog who has taken shelter in a makeshift tent built from storm debris.
Many residents in flood-affected areas have been left wondering whether money earmarked by the government for flood control projects has been spent wisely.
Between 2022 and 2025, more than 400 flood-protection projects worth over 26 billion pesos (about 441 million U.S. dollars) have been launched in Cebu, the second highest investment of all the nation's provinces.
Vince Dizon, secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) visited Talisay City on Wednesday, where he said people should be held accountable for the poor state of the region's flood defenses.
"Poorly planned, poorly executed, and we don't know if there are anomalies here. That will be up to the ICI (Independent Commission on Infrastructure) to find. But definitely, someone should be held accountable here," he said.
According to the country's disaster management authority, more than 6,700 houses were damaged in the typhoon, and hospitals, schools, and other public facilities suffered extensive damage. Power and communications were disrupted in many towns, closing schools and businesses.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster.
Flood control projects under question as Typhoon wreaks havoc in Philippines
