Profits of China's major industrial firms up 18.7 pct in H1

Profits of China's industrial firms above designated size increased 18.7 percent year on year during the first half (H1) of 2026, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday.

These industrial firms with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.95 million U.S. dollars) saw their combined profits reach around 3.95 trillion yuan in the January-June period, according to the data.

At the same time, revenue of these industrial firms rose 6.5 percent year on year, driven by steady industrial production growth and a continued recovery in industrial product prices.

During the same period, the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence across various sectors and the surge in demand for computing power pushed profits in the electronics industry up by 96.9 percent year on year.

Russia said on Sunday its forces had taken control of a settlement in the Donetsk region, while Ukraine reported attacking a Russian oil and gas facility the same day.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, its forces had taken control of the village of Shevchenko in the Donetsk region, and had struck multiple Ukrainian facilities, including production and storage sites for long-range drones, logistics centers, and military energy and transport infrastructure.

Russian air defense systems also shot down eight guided aerial bombs and over 1,000 fixed-wing drones across multiple areas, according to the ministry.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported the same day that its forces had struck a Russian oil and gas facility in Crimea, which it said was used to supply fuel and energy to Russian troops there.

In addition, Ukrainian forces hit a drone ground relay station, also in Crimea, along with a road bridge used for Russian military logistics in the Donetsk region and a drone warehouse in the Luhansk region.