International ceramic expo opens in Jingdezhen, world’s ‘porcelain capital’

The 2025 China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Expo opened on Saturday in Jingdezhen, an eastern Chinese city renowned as the world's "porcelain capital," drawing more than 1,000 domestic and international buyers.

Covering an exhibition space of 140,000 square meters, the expo features more than 700 exhibitors showcasing the full spectrum of the ceramics industry, from traditional masterpieces to contemporary designs.

The five-day event has brought together exhibitors from over 30 countries, including Italy, Germany and Russia.

In addition to the main exhibition, the expo will feature a range of activities, such as forums, investment promotion conferences, and procurement matchmaking events. A highlight of this year's edition is the debut of a global ceramics carnival, which blends ceramic culture with elements of urban life.

Inaugurated in 2004, the expo has grown into a key platform for international cultural exchange, ceramics trade and global industry investment.

Last year, Jingdezhen's ceramics industry reported an output value of more than 93 billion yuan (about 13.1 billion U.S. dollars), marking annual growth exceeding 9 percent, with products exported to more than 80 countries and regions.

The United Kingdom's economy contracted in April, with the gross domestic product (GDP) falling 0.1 percent month on month after growing 0.3 percent in March, according to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The main driver of the negative growth was cited as a 0.2 percent contraction in services.

According to the ONS, one of the biggest contributors to the decline in services was a 9.1 percent fall in sports, amusement and recreation activities -- the largest negative contribution from a single industry to services output and real GDP growth.

Some of the sector's decline was attributed to the war in the Middle East, as the cancellation of various sporting events in the Middle East affected the output of U.K.-based companies, said the ONS.