Attacks on oil shipping vessels have recently spread from the Strait of Hormuz to waters near Iraq, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Wednesday. According to a warning issued by the British maritime agency, an oil tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile 30 nautical miles southeast of Al-Faw, Iraq, on Tuesday.
The crew were reported safe, and there was no reported damage to the vessel.
The waters off Al-Faw are a key shipping route for vessels accessing Iraq's southern ports and offshore oil export facilities, and are far from the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate warning, another oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile and caught fire on Tuesday in waters off Oman near the western entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
The blaze has been put out and all crew members are safe, according to the agency.
The warnings did not disclose the names of the targeted tankers or who carried out the attacks.
Cargo ship attacks spread from Hormuz to waters off Iraq: UKMTO
Cargo ship attacks spread from Hormuz to waters off Iraq: UKMTO
Cargo ship attacks spread from Hormuz to waters off Iraq: UKMTO
China's cumulative outbound investment has ranked among the world's top three for nine consecutive years, with an increasing focus on emerging sectors such as the digital economy and green development, an official from the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on the development of the commerce sector during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Zhao Chunfeng, director of the ministry's Department of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, said China's outbound investment has maintained steady and orderly growth.
"By the end of 2025, China's outbound investment stock reached nearly 3.4 trillion U.S. dollars, ranking among the top three globally for nine consecutive years. In the first nine months of this year, China's total outbound direct investment across all sectors amounted to 128.62 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting steady and orderly growth. Overall, China's position as a major global investor continues to strengthen," he said.
Zhao said the country is channeling more capital into emerging fields, particularly the green and digital sectors, to deliver benefits to both China and the whole world.
"In the first three quarters of this year, our data show that outbound investment in the green, low-carbon, and digital sectors grew by over 20 percent year on year, outpacing that of overall outbound investment. This highlights an increasingly focus [of China's outbound investment] on green and digital sectors. The relevant projects have also effectively facilitated industrial transformation and upgrading in host countries, resulting in mutually beneficial outcomes," said Zhao.
China remains among top three global investors for 9th year: official
