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

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."

Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.

Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.

Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.

He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.

The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.

Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves