China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, reached a record 7.77 trillion kilowatt-hours in the first three quarters of 2025, according to data released by the National Energy Administration on Thursday.
This figure rose 4.6 percent year-on-year, with the quarterly gains of 2.5 percent, 4.9 percent, and 6.1 percent indicating accelerating growth.
In the third quarter, power consumption by the country's secondary industries increased by 5.1 percent year-on-year, accounting for 51 percent of the overall growth. The high-tech and equipment manufacturing sectors have been experiencing rapid expansion, with their power usage surging by 9.5 percent year-over-year in the first nine months.
Stimulated by China's consumption promotion initiatives, power consumption in the service industries in the third quarter also reported an increase of 8.3 percent compared to last year, with power usage for the internet and related services surging by 33.8 percent, and for the battery charging and swapping sector rising by 49.6 percent.
China's power use hits record 7.77 trillion kWh in first 9 months of 2025
Foreign ministers from eight Arab and Islamic countries have condemned in the strongest terms recent "illegal" Israeli decisions and measures aimed at entrenching settlement activity and Israeli control in the West Bank.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their position that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.
They warned against the continued "expansionist Israeli policies" and illegal measures pursued by the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank, voicing "absolute rejection of these illegal actions."
The ministers said Israeli measures constitute a blatant violation of international law and undermine the two-state solution, adding that such actions also undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region.
The statement urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to compel Israel to halt its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank.
On Sunday, Israel's security cabinet approved several decisions aimed at altering the legal and civil status of the West Bank and strengthening Israeli control over the territory.
Among the controversial measures approved, the cabinet decided to repeal a law banning land sales to Jews, to remove the requirement for special transaction permits, and to revive a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for about two decades.
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. The settlements it has built there and its ongoing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that measures expanding settlements and extending Israeli civilian authority in the West Bank undermine prospects for establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Israeli measures to deepen control in West Bank
