The structure of China's business entities continued to improve in the first half of 2026, supporting a better-quality and more dynamic economy, official data released on Saturday by the State Administration for Market Regulation showed.
Newly registered enterprises in eight strategic emerging industries -- including next-generation information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing -- and nine future industries such as humanoid robots and generative AI reached 561,000 in the first six months, maintaining steady growth.
In particular, 55,000 new enterprises were registered in the generative AI sector, up 28 percent year on year, while the humanoid robotics sector registered 116,000 new enterprises, up 9.5 percent year on year, rapidly forming new drivers of economic growth.
Meanwhile, new types of consumer business showed strong vitality in the first half of the year, with the service sector adding 3.957 million new enterprises. Among these, cultural and tourism industries saw 1.475 million newly registered enterprises.
In addition, high-tech manufacturing maintained strong growth momentum. New enterprise registrations in spacecraft and launch vehicle manufacturing industry as well as the optical fiber and optical cable manufacturing industry, surged 185.7 percent and 129.4 percent year on year, respectively.
China's business entities see improved structure in January-June period
Global food commodity prices rose slightly in July, driven by higher prices for cereals, sugar and vegetable oils, while lower meat and dairy prices partly offset the increase, according to a report released Friday by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The FAO Food Price Index averaged 131.1 points in July, up 0.6 percent from June and 1.0 percent higher than a year earlier. However, it remained 18.2 percent below its record high reached in March 2022.
The FAO said the cereal price index rose 3.4 percent month on month. Wheat prices climbed 5.8 percent amid concerns over disruptions to Black Sea exports and heatwaves affecting major producing regions, while maize prices increased 3.6 percent due to hot and dry weather in parts of the U.S. Corn Belt and stronger energy markets. Rice prices remained broadly stable.
The vegetable oil price index gained 2.0 percent to its highest level since June 2022, supported by stronger palm oil prices on robust biodiesel demand in Indonesia and higher crude oil prices, as well as firmer soybean oil prices, the report said.
Sugar prices rose 5.6 percent from June, reflecting concerns over hot and dry weather in Europe, adverse weather risks in major Asian producing countries, and expectations that Brazil's higher ethanol blending requirement would divert more sugarcane to ethanol production, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the meat and dairy price indices fell 2.8 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, said the report.
The FAO said global food prices remain well below the peak recorded in 2022, but geopolitical tensions and extreme weather continue to put upward pressure on prices of some agricultural commodities.
Global food prices edge up in July amid heatwaves, regional conflicts: FAO
