Foreign trade in Yellow River Basin hits 1.09 tln Yuan in Jan-Feb

Latest official customs data showed the total import and export value of the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River reached 1.09 trillion yuan (about 158 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2026, rising 15.4 percent year on year.

The figure, a new record for the period, highlights the Yellow River Basin's foreign trade performance, characterized by steady expansion and leading other inland regions.

Specifically, trade growth within the Yellow River basin varied significantly. Six provincial-level regions along the river recorded growth, with Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, and Ningxia leading the way -- posting year-on-year increases of 69 percent, 38.6 percent, 28.2 percent, and 23.9 percent, respectively.

Looking at export categories, the "new three" (electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic cells), along with other high-tech and agricultural products saw notable growth. Mechanical and electrical products, in particular, surged 17.3 percent, accounting for 61 percent of total exports.

Take the marine economy in east China's Shandong Province as an example: its mechanical and electrical products, especially high-value marine engineering equipment with long supply chains, have shown impressive export momentum. These products have held the world's largest market share for several consecutive years, injecting strong momentum into China's foreign trade growth.

"We have successfully overcome key technical challenges, including the welding of ultra-high-strength steels, and integrated air-cooled generators above 1,000 kW and air-conditioning systems into offshore platforms. This fills a technological gap in related domestic fields," said Xie Wanpeng, a deputy general manager at Qingdao Haixi Heavy-Duty Machinery Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)'s Wuhan Marine Machinery Plant Co., Ltd.

The shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment industry, integrating high-end manufacturing, new materials, and smart systems, requires a resilient and increasingly sophisticated industrial chain for support.

At the Haixi Bay Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Industrial Base in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, where the company is located, over 50 shipbuilding, offshore engineering equipment manufacturing, and supporting enterprises have clustered. This has formed a powerful industrial ecosystem featuring leading players driving innovation, research and development-led growth, and full-chain collaboration.

"About 30 percent of the materials for our ongoing projects are supplied by the local industrial cluster. This shortens procurement radius and significantly reduces logistics costs. Currently, we have over 100 platforms and port machinery equipment under construction, with delivery dates scheduled through 2027," said Zhou Zhenfeng, a project manager of offshore platform division at Qingdao Haixi Heavy-Duty Machinery Co., Ltd.

Foreign trade in Yellow River Basin hits 1.09 tln Yuan in Jan-Feb

China's first 500-kV cross-border alternating-current power interconnection project entered service Monday, creating the highest voltage grid tie between the two countries and advancing Belt and Road energy cooperation.

The project raises two-way power transfer capacity between the two countries from 50,000 kW to 1.5 million kW, enabling the annual transmission of about 3 billion kWh of clean electricity, roughly 30 times the capacity of previous lines, according to China Southern Power Grid.

As the largest cross-border grid project and the highest-voltage power link between China and Laos, it connects southwest China's Yunnan Province with Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces in northern Laos.

Cross-border electricity trading began as the project entered operation. About 4.81 million kWh of power from clean energy bases in northern Laos was transmitted to Yunnan through the new line, marking a more regular and institutionalized phase of power connectivity between the two countries.

It is also the first time an overseas new energy project has participated in China's electricity market, the company said. The power involved in the transaction came from a large mountain photovoltaic project in Laos, one of the core supporting power sources for the interconnection line.

"This project is the cross-border power grid project with the highest voltage level between China and Laos. Leveraging the China-Laos power grid interconnection and the power markets in southern China, surplus hydropower from Laos can be transmitted to China during the rainy season, while China can supply supplemental power to northern Laos during the dry season. This project represents yet another landmark achievement between China and Laos in deepening power cooperation and jointly advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Li Jingru, general manager of Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), a joint venture of China Southern Power Grid and Lao state-run Electricite du Laos.

The solar project has an average annual power generation capacity of about 1.65 billion kWh. In 2026, it is expected to transmit about 1.1 billion kWh of solar power across the border, supporting energy complementarity between the two countries.

"In the future, efforts will be made to further promote normalized cross-border electricity trading, meet the trading needs such as electricity transmission from Laos to China's Yunnan, from China's Yunnan to Laos, and from Laos to China's Guangdong, and facilitate the optimal allocation of energy resources in the Lancang-Mekong region," said Li Minhong, marketing director of China Southern Power Grid.

Construction of the interconnection project began in late February last year. Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section.

New China-Laos power link expands transfer capacity 30-fold, boosts electricity trading