Heavy snow has hit large swathes of northern China since Saturday, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Gansu, with local authorities closing highways and warning of travel hazards.
In north China's Tianjin Municipality, the first city-wide snowfall of the year began at noon on Saturday, and the local meteorological center issued a yellow alert for icy roads later that day.
Also on Saturday, heavy snow began to fall in Baoding City in north China's Hebei Province, blanketing roads and trees across the city. Traffic police activated emergency plans to guide traffic at key intersections, while sanitation departments deployed personnel and equipment to clear snow on the roads.
Snow began in Jiayuguan City, northwest China's Gansu Province, on Saturday evening, resulting in accumulations on urban roads. The local urban administration bureau immediately activated its snow removal plan.
As of Sunday noon, sections of 35 highways nationwide were fully closed, and 99 were under speed limits or partial restrictions.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red indicating the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Snow disrupts urban traffic, closes highways across northern China
China became Central Asia's largest trading partner in 2025, marking a new milestone in regional economic ties, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
Last year, trade between China and Central Asian countries reached 106.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 12 percent year on year and outpacing the 2024 growth rate by six percentage points.
After five consecutive years of growth, trade between China and Central Asia exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars for the first time in history, noted the ministry.
As China emerged as the largest trading partner to Central Asian countries, the region's share of China's foreign trade further increased, the ministry added.
Exports from China grew 11 percent to 71.2 billion U.S. dollars, led by machinery, electronics and high-tech products, while imports from Central Asia rose 14 percent to 35.1 billion U.S. dollars, with a more diverse mix including chemicals, steel and agricultural goods.
Cross-border e-commerce between China and Central Asian states maintained rapid growth in the year, supported by strengthened logistics networks, cross-border payment systems and the launch of the China-Central Asia Trade Facilitation Cooperation Platform in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province.
The ministry also highlighted high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Key projects in connectivity, equipment manufacturing, green minerals and modern agriculture have boosted China's exports to Central Asia and supported industrial upgrading and economic revitalization across Central Asian countries, the ministry said.
China becomes Central Asia's largest trading partner in 2025
