China's foreign trade in yuan-denominated terms expanded 18.8 percent year on year to nearly 40 trillion yuan (about 6 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of this year, an official from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.
Mao Shengyong, deputy head of the NBS, highlighted the robust performance of China's foreign trade, noting that both exports and imports maintained strong double-digit momentum during the period.
"In the first three quarters of this year, China's trade in goods imports and exports totaled 39.9399 trillion yuan, up 18.8 percent year on year. Among them, exports rose 16.4 percent, while imports climbed 22.3 percent," said Mao at a press conference in Beijing.
According to Mao, exports totaled 23.2 trillion yuan over the period, while imports reached 16.74 trillion yuan.
Trade with Belt and Road partner countries rose 17.1 percent year on year, Mao said, adding that private enterprises saw their foreign trade expand by 19.1 percent, accounting for 56.9 percent of the total volume.
Exports of mechanical and electrical products increased 23.7 percent year on year, making up 64.3 percent of total exports, said the official.
In September, total foreign trade reached 5.16 trillion yuan, up 27.5 percent year on year, 7.7 percentage points faster than the previous month. Of this, exports stood at 3.03 trillion yuan, up 29.6 percent year on year, while imports hit 2.13 trillion yuan, rising 24.6 percent from the same period last year, said Mao.
China's foreign trade expands 18.8 pct in first three quarters
Over 550,000 people took part in protests over the soaring cost of living and deteriorating public services in Paris and other major French cities on Saturday, with violent clashes in some areas.
According to French media reports, the demonstrations brought together farmers, climate activists, trade unions and students, expressing demands on fuel prices, the cost of living, education and public services.
The protests were fueled by the French government's push for the 2027 budget proposal. Facing high public debt and a large fiscal deficit, the government plans to improve public finances through revenue increases and spending cuts.
The proposed measures have sparked public concern over purchasing power and possible impacts on public services. At the same time, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty in international energy markets are adding external pressure to the French economy.
"Personally, I haven't had much trouble, because I have a good job and my income covers my expenses. But for many people, this is indeed a problem. The war has certainly driven up the prices of certain resources, such as gasoline. For those who rely on their cars, the prices of all kinds of energy are rising," said a protester.
"This summer, on several occasions when I was considering whether to drive, I weighed it over and over and eventually gave up on the trip because I simply couldn't afford the fuel. And I'm not even particularly dependent on a car. I live in Paris and can use public transport. But for people living outside Paris who rely on their cars to get around, it's just too hard," said another protester.
"In any case, public services are already in dire straits. This is true for schools, hospitals, and the judicial system alike. For everyone, this is nothing short of a nightmare," said a protester.
Numerous attacks on public buildings, police stations and businesses were reported during the demonstrations.
A total of 2,397 people were arrested during the protests, which were marred by violence, according to figures released by the French Interior Ministry on Sunday. A total of 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously.
Protests over rising living costs, failing public services erupt across France
