China's e-commerce sector maintained a positive momentum of innovation-driven development in the first eight months of 2026, with online retail sales of goods and services rising 4.6 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday.
The ministry estimates the sector's growth helped drive a 1.3-percent increase in the country's total retail sales of goods and services, which rose by 2.5 percent in the period.
Specifically, retail sales of digital and health-related products grew rapidly in the eight-month period. Data showed that online retail sales of cellphones and outdoor apparel rose 6.8 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively.
With the deep integration of instant retail and online services creating new consumption scenarios, online retail sales of both tourism and life services maintained double-digit growth from January to August.
As the authorities continue to promote e-commerce in rural areas, online retail sales of agricultural products increased by 12.5 percent in the period.
Meanwhile, China's Silk Road E-commerce cooperation has expanded to include 38 partner countries, diversifying offerings in the domestic consumer market with premium products.
In the first eight months, online retail sales of Kazakh camel milk, Kenyan coffee beans and Argentinian steak all maintained robust growth, data showed.
China’s online retail sales of goods, services up 4.6 pct in 1st eight months
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington is in "constant communication" with Yemen's Houthi group, which has agreed not to fight the United States, Fox News reported.
Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said Sunday that he had just spoken with Trump and relayed the president's comments.
Trump's comments came as tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have sharply escalated.
Trump made similar remarks during his visit to Ireland earlier this month.
"They let us know, they don't want to fight with us," Trump said at the time, adding that the group did not want the United States to "go after them."
The U.S. military will not launch "offensive strikes" against Yemen's Houthi group, CNN reported on Sunday, citing a U.S. official.
U.S. military support has so far been limited to providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data for its operations against the Houthis, according to the report.
Washington has recently increased the sharing of such information with Riyadh. The White House believes the United States is currently providing Saudi Arabia with all the support it needs to confront the Houthis, said the report.
"No offensive strikes," a U.S. official was quoted as saying.
Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official, said on CNN earlier that he had been told that U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting at Camp David on Saturday to discuss and review options for strikes in Yemen. The White House and the Pentagon have not publicly confirmed the claim.
The Trump administration has so far shown little willingness to become directly involved in the conflict. Multiple U.S. media outlets reported earlier this month that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud had urged Trump to order U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but Trump declined.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought air-defense assistance from France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt as its supply of missile interceptors runs low and U.S. stocks of interceptors have been strained by the conflict with Iran.
The Houthis' recent advances and attacks have raised concerns that it could open another front in the broader U.S.-Iran conflict, further complicating an already volatile regional situation.
Trump says Houthis agreed not to fight U.S.
