China to expand imports with supportive measures in 2026: Commerce Ministry

China

China to expand imports with supportive measures in 2026: Commerce Ministry

2026-02-05 11:43 Last Updated At：14:57

China will step up efforts to expand imports in 2026 through coordinated domestic and international initiatives, as the country has become the world's second-largest consumer and import market, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

In 2026, China will further encourage Chinese companies to go global while inviting more foreign businesses to enter the Chinese market by holding import promotion events through multiple channels and in diverse formats both at home and abroad.

"We will enhance the synergy between the 'Export to China' initiative and the 'Shopping in China' campaign. By integrating these efforts with consumption-boosting programs such as 'Premium Consumption Month' and the 'International Consumption Season', we aim to bring in more high-quality imported products and services and help them perform well in the Chinese market. At the same time, we expect to see more vertical and horizontal coordination among diverse market players, and better online-offline connectivity, to continuously raise the quality and efficiency of imports," said Wang Zhihua, director of the Department of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce.

The first event in 2026 under the theme "Export to China to Share the Big Market" was held in Beijing. The ministry said it will host more than 100 related events throughout the year to support a wider range of high-quality global goods and services entering the Chinese market.

Russia claims controls of Ukrainian settlement, while Ukraine says Russian patrol ship hit

Russia said on Thursday that its forces had taken control of a settlement in Ukraine, while Ukraine reported an attack on a Russian patrol ship.

In its latest report on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces struck 142 areas over the past day, targeting Ukrainian long-range drone storage and launch sites, energy and transportation infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces, and temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.

Russian air defense systems reportedly shot down 601 fixed-wing drones. Additionally, Russian forces gained control of a settlement in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 279 clashes along the front lines in the past 24 hours, claiming to have shot down 2,111 Russian drones.

In a separate statement on Thursday, Ukraine's unmanned systems force confirmed an attack on a Russian patrol vessel in the waters near Crimea.

Additionally, the surrounding areas of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, one of the largest nuclear facilities in Europe, suffered a "massive attack" by Ukrainian heavy drones on Thursday. Targets included the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant, which is critical for powering the nuclear facility’s only remaining external power line.

Despite the assaults, the nuclear plant is reportedly operating normally with no abnormalities in safety parameters. As of now, the Ukrainian side has not commented on these developments.