Chinese FM meets Bahraini counterpart

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, China-Bahrain relations have made significant progress, with steady development momentum bringing benefits to the peoples of both countries.

Noting that the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024, opening a new chapter in bilateral ties, Wang said that China is willing to work together with Bahrain to respect and support each other, enhance political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms to further advance China-Bahrain relations.

Zayani said that Bahrain highly values its relationship with China and is willing to further increase high-level exchanges and strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy, tourism, finance, and logistics, with a view to further consolidating and enhancing the friendly and cooperative relations between Bahrain and China.

The two sides mainly exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East. Wang mentioned that the protracted Middle East conflict has had a serious impact on regional peace and stability and serves no party's interests. For this reason, President Xi has proposed a series of initiatives and propositions dedicated to peace in the Middle East, which represent China's wisdom and solutions to help overcome the region's security challenges.

China has always maintained that the conflict should not escalate and the flames of war should not spread. Confrontation only intensifies problems and dialogue is the right path forward, he said, adding that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the legitimate concerns of all parties should be valued, interference should be ruled out, and the direction of a political solution should be upheld.

China stands ready, based on President Xi's series of initiatives, to strengthen communication and coordination with Bahrain and other regional countries, and to help achieve lasting peace and stability in the region at an early date, said Wang.

Zayani said that the Gulf countries are currently facing a very severe security situation. Bahrain welcomes the China initiatives and proposals put forward by President Xi, and believes these important ideas are highly beneficial for countries in the region. Bahrain appreciates China's consistent commitment to fairness and justice, its ongoing communication with regional countries, and its active efforts to promote a ceasefire and end hostilities, he said.

Zayani noted that current regional tensions threaten energy supply chains and the free navigation of shipping lanes. Bahrain hopes that relevant issues can be resolved as soon as possible through multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and also looks forward to enhanced cooperation with China at the UN Security Council to jointly address current challenges, he said.

Chinese FM meets Bahraini counterpart

Chinese FM meets Bahraini counterpart

China's auto exports are on track to surpass 10 million units in 2026 as export volumes continue to expand, with new energy vehicles emerging as the main driving force, according to the latest data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Monday.

CAAM data showed that China exported 8.2 million vehicles in the January-September period, up more than 65 percent year on year, putting annual exports on course to break the 10-million-unit mark for the first time.

This expansion has been accompanied by strong performances from several domestic automakers. Chery Group exported a cumulative 1.5 million vehicles in the first three quarters, a 65 percent increase year on year, while MG, the British brand under SAIC Motor, sold more than 280,000 units in the European market during the same period, up 23 percent.

At the same time, the geographic reach of Chinese auto exports has continued to widen, with Europe, South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East becoming the main destination markets.

Behind these figures, new energy vehicles are turning into the key engine of export growth.

In the first nine months of the year, China exported over four million new energy vehicles, up 1.3 times year on year. Starting in June, the share of new energy vehicles in total auto exports has exceeded 50 percent for four consecutive months.

Industry observers noted this rapid rise reflects how Chinese automakers are leveraging their advantages in electrification and intelligent technologies.

Liu Yan, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, said the export boom reflects a fundamental shift in the source of China's automotive competitiveness.

"The global competitiveness of China's automotive industry has evolved from cost-effectiveness to a systemic competitiveness centered on new energy. This is not only injecting new momentum into global green and low-carbon development, but also securing new long-term competitive advantages for Chinese automakers," she said.

China's auto exports projected to top 10 million units in 2026