An Aerofugia employee adjusts a model of eVTOL at the company’s plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province. YIN DONGXUN/XINHUA China is accelerating the development of its low-altitude economy, as heavy-lift cargo drones made back-to-back maiden flights within 24 hours, underscoring momentum in unmanned logistics. The Jiutian large unmanned aerial vehicle made its inaugural flight in Northwest…
The European Union’s use of its so-called Foreign Subsidies Regulation vis-a-vis Chinese firms breaches WTO rules and risks chilling the foreign investment climate, said industry experts. The move came as Brussels announced last week an in-depth investigation into Chinese security equipment maker Nuctech under its FSR, a 2023 law that China’s Ministry of Commerce concluded…
Escalators built into the mountainside give hikers a “no-sweat ascent” choice in the Shenxianju scenic area in Taizhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily] In… Read More »Thrills designed for ‘wimps’ make giant leap in tourism industry
A view of the exterior of Brickkiln Lane in Beijing’s Haidian district, a popular industrial tourism site built on a major brick-and-tile factory constructed back… Read More »Breathing creativity back into rusty factories
A drone is on display at an innovation-driven development demonstration center in Beijing. ZHENG HUANSONG/XINHUA China’s resolve to promote innovation-driven development to accelerate the cultivation of new growth drivers is expected to help the country gain an edge in strategic emerging fields and tech frontiers, and boost the nation’s long-term competitiveness globally amid external uncertainties,…
In September 2025, 58 495 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 24% decrease compared with September 2024 (76 920) and a 14% increase compared with August 2025 (51 465). There were also 16 185 subsequent applicants, representing a 152% increase compared with September 2024 (6 435) and…
China ranks “number one” in AI preparedness among emerging market economies, said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, citing an internal assessment. Georgieva noted that China’s innovation momentum is set to continue and said she looked forward to greater involvement of market forces in innovation. This aligns with the direction set by…
Euro area The first estimates of euro area balance showed a €18.4 bn surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the world in October 2025, compared with + €7.1 bn in October 2024. The euro area exports of goods to the rest of the world in October 2025 were €258.0 bn, an increase…
In 2024, the number of people killed in railway accidents in the EU fell to 750, a 10.8% decrease compared with 2023 (841 deaths). The declining number of rail transport fatalities in 2024 came after 2 consecutive years of increases. A decreasing trend was seen from 2014 to 2019, when the number fell by around…
In 2025, 32.7% of people aged 16-74 in the EU used generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Most people used them for personal purposes (25.1%), while 15.1% used them for work and 9.4% for formal education. This information comes from data on the use of ICT in households and by individuals published by Eurostat today. The…