China has become Ecuador's second-largest trading partner with bilateral trade growing rapidly since the China-Ecuador free trade agreement (FTA) took effect more than two years ago, a commerce ministry spokesman said Thursday.
The volume of trade between China and Ecuador in the first six months of 2026 reached 9.83 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent, He Yadong, the ministry's spokesman, said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.
The two sides have cooperated in the fields of infrastructure, energy, and minerals, according to the spokesman.
He also mentioned China and Ecuador had signed two economic cooperation agreements to deepen trade, investment, agriculture and e-commerce ties during Ecuadorian President Daniel Roy-Gilchrist Noboa Azín's ongoing state visit to China.
"On August 18, China's Ministry of Commerce and Ecuador's ministry of economic and productive development signed a roadmap for bilateral economic and trade cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on supporting free trade and multilateralism, witnessed by the two heads of state. The two sides agreed to strengthen economic and trade coordination and advance cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, agriculture and food, e-commerce and sustainable development. They will also work together to implement the bilateral FTA, avoid taking unjustified discriminatory economic and trade measures against each other, and maintain communication and share information on trade measures involving third countries," said the spokesman.
He said China is ready to work with Ecuador to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, make good use of bilateral economic and trade cooperation mechanisms, promote higher-quality China-Ecuador economic and trade cooperation, and further deepen and advance the China-Ecuador comprehensive strategic partnership.
China becomes Ecuador's second-largest trading partner
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Thursday U.S. "economic terrorism" threatens global economy and the sovereignty of nations worldwide.
The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday "the most crushing economic operation ever taken" against any country providing a lifeline to Iran.
"This will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale," Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the move "an ECONOMIC D-DAY."
In response, Araghchi said on X that the so-called "Economic D-Day" is a diversion from Washington's own crisis: "unprecedented debt and surging interest costs."
"Doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat -- and enmity of Iranians. U.S. economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide," he added.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending their war in the region on all fronts. Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on Monday, to reach a final agreement. However, the fate of the talks remains unclear following an escalation between the two countries last month.
Washington's anti-Tehran "economic operation" comes as Iran is already under U.S. unilateral sanctions and naval blockade.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Thursday that the United States is now further pressuring Iran under the label of an "economic war," which he views as an attempt to cover up Washington's previous failure.
Gharibabadi said in a social media post that while the United States claims Iran is "on the verge of collapse," it is reaching out to all its allies for help, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.
To cover up its failure, the United States has to create an even bigger failure, Gharibabadi said, adding that the military war had failed to deliver results, and Washington was now calling the next defeat an "economic war."
Trump announced on social media Wednesday that the United States would launch "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country" against Iran.
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has said the country will use more "devastating" weapons if a new war begins against it.
Following the 12-day and 40-day wars imposed against the country in June last year and late February by the United States and Israel, Iran has expanded its military capabilities, IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said in an interview with Iran's Defa Press news agency, which was published on Thursday.
"If another war begins, our weapons will definitely be different ... in terms of the generation of missiles' warheads, as well as their precision and range," Mohebbi said.
The spokesperson emphasized that Iran has never stopped its armaments production, adding, "The destruction power of the warheads used in the IRGC's (new) missiles is far greater than the models used in the previous wars."
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing the country's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region.
Iran's FM says U.S. "economic terrorism" threatens global economy, national sovereignty
