Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a presidential decree to boost the number of servicemen in the Russian Armed Forces by 25,000, according to information published Monday on the official portal for legal acts.
In June, the president set the authorized strength of the Russian Armed Forces at 2,399,130 personnel, including 1,510,000 servicemen.
"Due to the establishment of new military construction units within the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, I hereby order amendments to Presidential Decree No. 419 dated June 12, 2026 'On Establishing the Authorized Strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation'. Clause 1 shall read as follows: Set the authorized strength of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at 2,426,130 personnel, including 1,535,000 servicemen," the document states.
It is noted that the amendments will enter into force on Aug. 1.
Putin signs decree increasing size of Russian armed forces
Putin signs decree increasing size of Russian armed forces
China will advance balanced growth in imports and exports and maintain an open market to the world, said a senior commerce official at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
He Shaojun, head of the Department of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, stressed that China's trade policy prioritizes balance, and that even a large surplus signals industrial resilience rather than excess capacity.
Chinese-made consumer goods, including computers, mobile phones, furniture, clothing and toys, have given consumers around the world more options, helped lower costs and cushioned inflation risks, he said.
"China's exports of production equipment and intermediate goods have strongly underpinned its trading partners' industrial growth. With over 80 percent of global solar modules and 70 percent of wind power equipment coming from China, the country has become a key enabler of the global green transition. Foreign-invested enterprises, which generate 16 percent of China's surplus, have also reaped significant rewards. This is a clear example of how the surplus remains in China while the gains are shared by all," said He.
The ministry also said that while China runs a sizable surplus in goods trade, its services trade and capital and financial accounts are in deficit.
The current account surplus accounts for about 3.7 percent of GDP, which falls within the internationally recognized reasonable range and does not indicate any significant imbalance in the balance of payments, the ministry said.
China to continue actively pushing for import‑export balance: official
