China's imports grew by 22 percent year on year in the first seven months of this year, with positive growth recorded in imports from more than 150 trading partners, according to the country's commerce ministry on Thursday.
At a regular press conference, ministry spokesman He Yadong said policies introduced this year to proactively expand imports have delivered tangible results, with China’s systematic opening‑up driving the steady release of import potential.
From May to June, China’s imports from Africa climbed 23.5 percent year on year, with fruit shipments showing sharp gains -- avocados up 1.3 times, apples 89.6 percent and oranges 27.9 percent, the spokesman said.
To date, more than 40 "Export to China" trade matchmaking events have been held both domestically and internationally, enabling high-quality products from nearly 100 countries to expand their presence in China through this platform.
He said China will continue to share its development dividends with the world, pledging a dual‑drive approach of policies and events to further unlock market potential.
"Moving forward, we will adhere to a dual-drive approach of policies plus events, strengthen the synergy between the 'Export to China' event and the 'Buy in China' and 'Invest in China' initiatives, and enhance its coordination with major exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the China International Consumer Products Expo. This will better unleash the potential of China's vast market and share China's development opportunities with the world," said the spokesman.
China logs positive growth in imports from over 150 trading partners: spokesman
China is continuing to experience a box office boom this year, driven by a nationwide campaign to spur consumption with cheaper cinema tickets while a series of big summer releases are also enticing film fans out to theaters up and down the country.
Seen as one of the most lucrative periods of the year, China's summer box office season, which officially runs from June 1 to August 31, has now generated more than 10.7 billion yuan in box office revenue as of midday Thursday.
This has helped propel China's total box office revenue for 2026 above 26.5 billion yuan (over 3.9 billion U.S. dollars) as of Thursday afternoon, with more than 670 million moviegoers and over 96 million screenings recorded, according to the latest data from a leading Chinese ticketing platform.
The diverse line-up of summer blockbusters covers a broad range of genres, including comedy, animation, sci-fi, war, and suspense and action, offering audiences more choices and helping attract viewers from different age groups and with different interests.
Among the best performers is the anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East," which tells the story of a chef working at a Chinese restaurant in the Middle East when war breaks out in the 2000s. It has drawn positive feedback both for its perspective on war and the vivid portrayal of life in the Middle East.
In just 10 days since its release on Aug. 11, the film has raked in over 1.2 billion yuan, catapulting it up the box office charts as it closes in on the year's biggest grossing films.
Ticketing data shows that the current top four on China's annual box office chart are the auto-racing sequel "Pegasus 3", Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" about a team of female footballers, the touching family drama "Dear You", and animated film "All Wishes Come True!"
China launched a nationwide campaign this year to boost the cinema sector, with at least 1.2 billion yuan in subsidies planned throughout 2026 to make movie-going more affordable. Data shows the average ticket price for domestic-made movies has dropped to 39.5 yuan (less than 6 U.S. dollars) this year, some 20 percent lower in 2025.
China's summer film season continues as consumption campaign entices moviegoers
