Several national leaders of African countries have arrived in Beijing to attend the upcoming 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which will be held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, as analysts from both China and Africa said the event will inject much needed new impetus into global economic recovery and set an example for South-South cooperation.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, from Saturday night to Sunday, leaders including Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, and Mali's transitional president Assimi Goita, have already arrived in Beijing to attend FOCAC. Experts said the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC will be a major diplomatic event that will not only gather Chinese and African leaders and representatives of relevant regional and international organizations, it will also bring together business executives, scholars and youths from both China and the continent to boost high quality cooperation among the Global South, and these will have great significance to the world that is experiencing profound change and turbulence.

At a briefing for Chinese and foreign media on the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC on August 23, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said that "The leaders of China and Africa will discuss major cooperation strategies, explore cooperation plans together and strengthen exchanges on state governance, which will provide important guidance for the development of the Forum in the next stage."

Chen said the Summit will introduce a series of new cooperation initiatives to deepen mutual understanding, respect and affinity between the peoples of China and Africa, so that the China-Africa friendship will be passed on from generation to generation and the flower of China-Africa friendship will blossom with renewed brilliance. According to public information, African members of the FOCAC include 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and the Commission of the African Union. 

He Wenping, a director with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the FOCAC summit this year will elevate China-Africa cooperation to new heights. "It's likely we will see China and African countries boosting cooperation in new areas like the digital economy and green development based on existing infrastructure."

Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, said that "the world is still experiencing profound change and turbulence, with numerous uncertainties, and there are serious challenges confronting globalization and global economic recovery. China and African countries are developing countries that share common interests and the stance that multi-polarization of the world should be boosted, and to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind." Therefore, the upcoming FOCAC summit will surely send an encouraging message to not only China and Africa, but also the Global South and the rest of the world, as this is a successful example for cooperation within Global South with global significance, Li noted. 

All-round cooperation

The President of the Central Africa Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera had already kicked off his trip in China with visits to Chongqing and Shandong Province from August 28 to Sunday to learn about China's achievements in areas such as urbanization, new energy, cultural industries, agriculture and the digital economy. 

Experts said this shows that African leaders are taking their attendance at FOCAC as an opportunity to explore China in different ways. In addition to diplomacy, they are also very interested in learning about China's development and modernization from a broader and more comprehensive perspective, said the experts. 

Endalkachew Sime, ex-State Minister of Ministry of Planning and Development of Ethiopia and founder and deputy CEO of the Africa-China Trade and Investment Facilitation Center, said that the FOCAC summit is crucial for two main reasons: First, they capture the focus and attention of the nations involved. Each leader attends these meetings with their own notes. 

"Second, these events help create a better image of the cooperation at the grassroots level in each country. With high-level media coverage and significant signatories, these platforms send a strong message to citizens [of different countries], encouraging them to take the partnership seriously," Sime said. 

Munetsi Madakufamba, executive director of the Zimbabwe-based Southern African Research and Documentation Center, said that "The development approach and cooperation between China and Africa are a win-win partnership, emphasizing the importance of understanding each other's context, circumstances, and development priorities. If you look at the development experience of Africa and in terms of cooperation with the West, it has been a kind of relationship of one side exploiting the other, which is unbalanced development."

Chinese analysts said that China has always seen Africa as a vibrant continent of hope, and treats African countries as equal partners. 

They said now it is time for Africa to embark on their journey of modernization. Since other major economies, especially Western ones, have failed to play very constructive roles to support Africa, China-Africa cooperation that is marked by high-level mutual trust and traditional friendship will become more all-round and profound.

Chinese divers Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan eased to the women's synchronized 10m platform title at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

Having paired up to win three times in a row in this event at the World Championships, Chen and Quan dominated the final on Wednesday to take the victory with 359.10 points.

The teenage duo helped China grab its seventh straight gold in this event at the Olympics.

China claimed first ever Olympic gold medal in team artistic swimming at Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

As the Paris Olympics drew to a close, the Chinese sports delegation held a press conference on Sunday reflecting on the Chinese team's success - securing 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals - while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Zhou Jinqiang, deputy head of the delegation, emphasized the understanding of the shortcomings exposed during the Paris Games.

Zhou highlighted under-performance in the "big three" ball sports - football, basketball, and volleyball - in which the results fell short of public expectations. Additionally, traditional strongholds saw a decline due to inadequate training management and innovation. Finally, a talent gap in some events revealed a lack of reserve athletes, prompting a call for deeper analysis and improvement.

At the Paris Olympics, only the Chinese women's volleyball and basketball teams made appearances in the "big three" ball sports, with the women's basketball team exiting in the group phase and the women's volleyball team reaching the quarterfinals.

In a commentary by the Global Times analyzing the state of the Chinese women's basketball team, it was stated that the regression is due to factors such as age and injuries, as well as a decline in individual player abilities. The aging roster of the women's volleyball team also raises concerns as they prepare for Los Angeles, and the team needs to continue to discover and cultivate more new talent to challenge for higher achievements, according to CCTV news.

Despite these setbacks, Zhou emphasized that the success in Paris should motivate Chinese athletes, while recognizing the tougher challenges ahead.

Sports commentator Wang Dazhao told the Global Times that changes are needed to deal with the challenges, and it may be a long process.

"We need to develop daily healthy and enjoyable sports activities that young people will be interested in, which will allow us to discover talent," Wang said.

He also pointed out that the international trend of prioritizing athletes' comprehensive development should be followed to ensure long-term success. Sports commentator Deng Bowen also expressed the need for more international communication, telling the Global Times that it is also important to strengthen infrastructure and investment in training.

Zhou noted that the Paris Olympics showcased the evolving landscape of international sports, with 19 world records and 65 Olympic records broken. This shows the high level required for success.

Looking ahead, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will feature several new events, including baseball, softball, lacrosse, cricket, squash and flag football, China News Service reported. Deng said that this change reflects the traditional strengths and interests of Western countries, particularly the US as these sports have a broad base and well-established competitive systems in Western countries.

"For the Chinese delegation, most of these newly added sports have relatively limited development domestically, with weaker professional standards and competitive foundations. Despite some progress, the overall level still lags behind that of Western countries," Deng said.

Baseball and softball were part of the Olympics from 1992 to 2008 and cricket and lacrosse have previously featured. Squash and flag football, however, have never been included in the Olympics before.

"Typically, this measure aims to leave some 'room' for the host country, giving some advantages in the project setup," Wang said.

But Deng also expressed hopes and expectations for China's performance in these sports at the LA Olympics.

"The Chinese delegation may face challenges in these sports, but with systematic investment and development, there is potential for progress in the future," Deng said.

Chinese officials are expected to express concerns over US' growing economic and trade restrictions against China and urge the US to stop politicizing trade issues, Chinese experts said, as Chinese and US officials reportedly kicked off a new round of financial talks on Thursday.

While neither China nor the US has publicly announced the dates for the fifth meeting of the bilateral Financial Working Group, several US media outlets, citing US Treasury Department officials, have reported that the meeting was scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday in Shanghai, where the two sides will reportedly focus on macroeconomic policies and financial stability, among other topics.

Amid growing concerns over the global economy, the new round of talks would send a positive signal that the world's biggest economies are continuing communications amid growing tension. However, as Washington continues to intensify its crackdown campaign against Chinese products and businesses, China will firmly push back against US' crackdowns and steadfastly promote high-quality development at its own pace, experts said.

There was no official information released about the reported meeting in Shanghai as of press time on Thursday. Still, in line with the US' long-standing practice ahead of talks with China, US officials have revealed their intensions for the upcoming meeting to US media outlets. A US Treasury Department spokesperson was quoted by Bloomberg as saying the talks will focus on issues including macroeconomic and financial stability, governance of the International Monetary Fund and capital markets issues.

The topics are in line with those covered by the Financial Working Group, which was established last year and has held four meetings so far. The fourth meeting, which was held in April in Washington DC, also focused on monetary policies of the two countries and financial stability, according to an official Chinese statement at the time.

"The China-US Financial Working Group is part of arrangements made to enhance communication in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. Specific topics for discussions depend on the prevailing economic and financial situation, as well as the concerns of the two sides," Zhao Xijun, co-president of the China Capital Market Research Institute at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The fifth meeting comes as global markets are becoming increasingly concerned over the US economy. Recent disappointing economic indicators from the US, including the country's unemployment rate, which rose to 4.3 percent in July, the highest since 2021, have rattled global markets. And some expect a slowdown and even a potential recession in the US economy.

Against such a backdrop, the US' focus on financial stability is within expectations, experts said. Notably, US Assistant Secretary of Treasury for International Finance Brent Neiman, who co-leads the group with his Chinese counterpart, said the US intended for the meeting to include conversations on "concrete steps we can take to improve communication in the event of financial stress."

While talks and potential policy coordination between the two countries are in the interests of both sides as well as the global economy, the US' sincerity in effectively addressing differences and stabilizing bilateral ties through talks remain in question, given Washington's hostility toward China, experts said.

"The US is pursuing talks with China due to domestic political and economic pressures, but it is not abandoning its long-term goal of containing China," He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times. "We need to understand this and work to further stabilize bilateral ties."

China's firm stance

With regard to the US' two-faced approach toward China, Chinese officials have clearly stated China's firm stance, in that it will firmly counter Washington's illegal crackdown measures, while remain open to dialogue. China has reiterated such a stance at various occasions.

During a meeting of the China-US Economic Working Group, which was also set up last year along with the Financial Working Group, in April, the Chinese side expressed concerns over the US' economic and trade restrictions against China and responded to claims of production capacity, the Ministry of Finance said at the time.

However, despite China's repeated opposition, Washington has continued to escalate its crackdown campaign against China. Since the meeting in April, the US in May announced additional tariffs on a wide range of Chinese products, including electric vehicles. The US also reportedly planned to announce new restrictions on exports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from foreign countries to Chinese chip makers, media reported.

Responding to the reported plans, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on July 31 slammed the US for continuing to politicize trade and tech issues, tie them to national security and use them as a weapon to tighten control over chip export to China.

"Let me stress that containing and going after China will not stop China's development, but will only make China even more determined and capable in boosting our own strength in technology and innovation," Lin said at a regular press briefing.

During the reported meeting in Shanghai, Chinese officials are also expected to reiterate China's firm stance and brief their US counterparts about China's reform and opening-up agenda outlined by the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, experts said.

"We have drawn up the direction and goals of our economic and social development. These goals include further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization," Zhao said, noting that China will continue to help the international community understand its determination and confidence in its reform and opening-up and the new opportunities it will bring.

Police in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, utilized thermal imaging technology on a drone to locate a 71-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease who had gone missing, according to local media reports on Monday.

A local police station in Suzhou recently received a call reporting a 71-year-old Alzheimer's patient missing. The man had left home early in the morning, and despite hours of searching by his worried family, he had not been found.

After receiving the call, the police quickly launched an emergency response, accessed surveillance video near the location of the incident. After careful investigation, they finally determined that the man disappeared into a vast nearby field.

Considering the challenging weather conditions and terrain, the police made the strategic decision to deploy a drone for assistance. The drone's thermal imaging technology was swiftly employed for an aerial search, ultimately leading to the successful identification of the man's precise location.

Following a swift rescue operation by the police and rescue workers, the elderly man was safely retrieved. Although he showed signs of weakness due to heat stroke, his condition was not life-threatening. The family expressed gratitude and thanked the rescuers, according to the report.

In response to the recent anti-doping tests controversies, the International Testing Agency (ITA) told the Global Times that recent media reports on Chinese Aquatics is part of the reason that led to additional testing on Chinese swimmers ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The ITA also expressed gratitude toward athletes for their cooperation and understanding, and said that their contribution to clean sport is fundamental and promotes fair play as well as the Olympic values.

Since April, the New York Times continually sought to hype a 2021 incident in which 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) due to inadvertent contamination. Despite the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) having defended Chinese athletes' cleanness, Chinese Olympic swimmers were found to be the most tested athletes in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics with an average of 21 anti-doping tests each - almost four times as many as their US counterparts.

Conversely, US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has allowed American track and field athlete Erriyon Knighton to compete at the Paris Olympics even after he was tested positive for the trenbolone on March 26. USADA attributed the result to meat contamination despite trenbolone not frequently found as a contaminant in meat products.

On August 8, the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) called for an independent investigation into USADA's misconduct and intensified testing on US track and field athletics and efforts to rebuild global trust in fair competition, after WADA on August 7 exposed a scheme that allowed US athletes who had committed doping violations to compete without sanctions for years.

In an email to the Global Times on Saturday, the ITA did not directly respond to questions as to whether the agency will increase anti-doping tests and monitoring of US athletes, it clarified the excessive anti-doping tests for Chinese swimmers were part of its recent testing regime.

"The ITA establishes an objective risk assessment for each delegation and individual athlete based on the physiological risks of their sport (swimming in general is considered a high-risk sport), historical data (previous anti-doping rule violations), performance, scientific factors (ie. the Athlete Biological Passport) and data analysis (statistics and probabilities), and any information and intelligence that the ITA might obtain."

This process is objective, free from any conflict of interest and is applied to all athletes from all countries in the same way.

In addition, larger country delegations are naturally tested more due to the larger number of athletes representing those National Olympic Committees. Delegations with higher chances of medals may also be tested more in order to "protect the podiums."

The ITA also said that "recent media reports on Chinese Aquatics have also led to additional testing ahead of the Games."

"The Chinese swimming team was also extensively tested ahead of the Games in China and in France by the CHINADA," the ITA told the Global Times.

"We wish to thank all athletes for their cooperation and understanding that anti-doping controls are part of being an international-level athlete and competing at the Olympic Games. Their contribution to clean sport is fundamental and promotes fair play as well as the Olympic values," ITA said.

A Beijing-based sports commentator told the Global Times on the condition of anonymity that the US has politicized and weaponized anti-doping tests to tarnish China's image and disrupt the Chinese athletes' preparations. And it cannot be ruled out that the ITA has also come under some pressure from the US.

"There is still a long way to go before Chinese athletes are treated as equals in world sport," the commentator said, "and it is important to fight for it, we must protect our own rights."

Team China has won 12 medals in the pool in Paris, double the total in Tokyo. The two gold medals in the men's 100m freestyle and men's 4x100-meter medley relay were one of the most significant breakthroughs. China's Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 has also achieved the goal of "zero occurrence" of doping.

Despite the US intention to harass Chinese athletes, their tactics turned out to be the best endorsement of Team China's performance, the commentator added.

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, condemning the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, calling for efforts by different parties to prevent further escalation of conflicts and urging countries to form a joint force to help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza.  

Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, who is seen as representing Hamas' hard-liners, as successor to Haniyeh. Arab countries, in a dilemma and feeling more anxious, hope that China can play a positive role in deescalating the situation as they recognize China's efforts and capacity in regional reconciliation, analysts said.

But the complexity of the situation requires joint efforts from all parties to address the current crisis, especially the US and Israel, to avoid escalation, they said. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday released information on Wang's phone conversations with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates and with Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, which took place on Tuesday. During both conversations, Wang said that China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns the assassination of Haniyeh. 

While talking with Abdelatty, Wang said that retaliatory action leads to a vicious cycle, and violence begets more violence, exacerbating conflict. China will strengthen solidarity with Arab countries, and work with all parties to avoid further escalation and deterioration of the situation.

In talking with Safadi, Wang said that the key to avoiding the deterioration and escalation of the situation is to achieve a full and permanent cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible and the international community should make a more consistent voice on this issue and form a joint force.

Liu Zhongmin, a professor from the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Egypt and Jordan are neighbors of the parties in conflict. Both countries established diplomatic relations with Israel early and have upheld a cautious approach to the situation involving Iran. 

At this complex and critical juncture, they seek to engage with China given China's previous role in brokering reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia and among various Palestinian factions, Liu said. 

Fourteen Palestinian factions signed the Beijing Declaration on July 23, seen as a positive move toward ending division and strengthening Palestinian national unity. 

The conflicts in the Middle East not only relate to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, but also result from the US' long-term partial policies toward Israel and Iran's diplomatic inclinations, Liu said, therefore joint efforts from all involved parties are needed to address the crisis.

Simmering escalation of tension

With Iran's retaliation against Israel looming after Haniyeh's assassination, regional countries and major players have been actively engaged in diplomacy to avoid an all-out regional war. Jordan's Foreign Minister Safadi made a rare visit to Iran on Sunday and Russian media reported that Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also visited Iran on Monday. 

US President Joe Biden called Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday and spoke with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday to discuss efforts to deescalate regional tensions, the White House said. 

The US is indeed the instigator of the situation which has been spiraling out of control in the Middle East, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times. 

"If the US had managed to restrain Israel and allow a cease-fire in Gaza earlier, the situation would not have escalated to this extent. Also it is the US' repeated obstruction at the UN Security Council on cease-fire proposals that has led to the current situation," said Sun.

Unlike Haniyeh, Sinwar represents hard-liners in Hamas, Sun said, adding that Hamas' past approach of "fighting while seeking negotiations at the same time" may likely shift to "survival through combat." 

Sun said that Hamas would also seek to form an alliance with Iran, the Houthis and Hezbollah, while trying to gain international support.

Iran did not immediately retaliate after the assassination but tried to tell the world that it is Israel that has infringed international norms and violated Iran's sovereignty, which has forced Iran to respond. The appointment of Sinwar could be a critical moment when Iran might take action, Sun said. 

Liu said Iran is likely to continue missile attacks on Israel and mobilize other militia groups in skirmishes with Israel. However, given Iran's current domestic and international situation, it is unlikely to engage in a large-scale conflict with Israel at the expense of the nation's interests. 

No matter how the crisis unfolds, the hatred between Iran and Israel will accumulate, and the escalating cycle of retaliation and counter-retaliation between them will worsen regional diplomatic relations, said Liu. 

In past decades, the vicious cycle in the Middle East has repeated with no country emerging as a true winner, and if the cycle continues, none of regional countries can have substantial security, analysts said, adding that as China and many other countries have advocated, negotiation and political settlement is the only way out.

US personal computer (PC) maker HP on Thursday became the latest foreign business that responded to allegations of planning to shift away from China, as some foreign media outlets hype rumors and claims to support their long-standing narrative of foreign businesses leaving the Chinese market.

China remains one of the most popular and stable destinations for global businesses amid a global economic downturn and rising protectionism, and the attractiveness of the Chinese market will improve further, as the country continues to open up its market and optimize the business environment, experts said.

On Wednesday, Japanese news outlet Nikkei, citing unidentified sources, reported that HP plans to shift more than half of its PC production away from China and was setting up a "backup" design hub in Singapore "in an attempt to reduce geopolitical risks."

The US PC maker swiftly refuted the alleged relocation and stressed its commitment to the Chinese market.

"We remain committed to China and our China operations, and the important role they play in our global supply chain. As part of our standard operating procedures, we regularly engage in scenario planning, exploring various options to ensure we are enhancing the agility and resiliency of our global supply chain to meet the evolving needs of our customers," HP China told the Global Times on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, HP told Chinese news outlet Jiemian News that China is an indispensable and key link in HP's global supply chain and it is unswervingly committed to its operations and development in China.

"In China, HP's PC manufacturing business still maintains a pivotal position, providing high-quality products and services to the global market," HP said, according to Jiemian News.

The US PC maker is only the latest foreign company in China that has been forced to refute allegations of leaving China made by some foreign media outlets. In March, South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix said that it was not scaling back its operations in China and had not changed its China strategy, after some foreign media reports suggested that the company planned to close its Shanghai base as it "aims to reduce risks associated with the US' policies toward China."

In January, SK Hynix denied foreign media reports suggesting that the company was selling its factory in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Chinese experts said that it has become a tactic of some foreign media outlets to make baseless allegations of foreign businesses leaving China in order to support their claims that foreign businesses are "abandoning" China; however, despite the relentless smear campaign, China remains to be a very attractive market for global firms.

"Against the backdrop of the overall slowdown in world economic growth and sluggish global recovery, China maintains a very high level of foreign investment," He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Thursday, noting that China is among the top recipients of foreign investment despite a worldwide decline. "The Chinese market is still very attractive to foreign investment."

In the first half of 2024, foreign direct investment in China in actual use dropped 29.1 percent year-on-year to 498.91 billion yuan ($69.57 billion). However, the total amount has remained at a relatively high level over the past decade, and the decline was mainly due to a high base during the same period in 2023, an official of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said last week, noting a 14.2 percent rise in the number of newly established foreign businesses in the country.

"Many multinational companies, including those from the US, Japan and Germany, have a large part of their supply chains in China. This also determines that foreign investment will not leave China on a large scale, and on the contrary, some new investment will come in," He said.

In the first half of 2024, foreign investment in certain sectors such as advanced technology increased significantly, with investment in medical equipment manufacturing jumping 87.5 percent year-on-year. Also notably, investment from Germany rose 18.1 percent and investment from Singapore increased 10.5 percent, according to the MOFCOM.

He said that while some foreign businesses might plan to adjust their strategies due to geopolitical risks and growing competition, it is inaccurate to claim that foreign businesses are leaving China on a large scale.

"From a global perspective, from the perspective of the entire industrial chain and supply chain, China's position is quite stable," He said, adding that China is also making efforts to further improve the environment for foreign businesses.

A communique of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July, which offered a clear window into China's reform agenda for years to come, stated that opening-up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization, and vowed to steadily expand institutional opening-up, deepen the structural reform of foreign trade, and further reform the management systems for inward and outward investment.

China's foreign trade in goods expanded by 6.2 percent year-on-year to reach 24.83 trillion yuan ($3.46 trillion) in the first seven months of this year, hitting a new record in trade volume, customs data showed on Wednesday, buoyed by the country's manufacturing strength, rising overseas demand, as well as the diversification of its trade partners overseas.

The brisk data add to an array of fresh evidence underscoring that the world's second-largest economy has been maintaining steady growth momentum, despite facing internal and external challenges. It also underlines a bullish outlook for the country's trade engine, which observers expect could roar at a quicker pace in the second half of the year to support the economy to grow and reach the GDP growth goal of around 5 percent for 2024.

The magnitude of China's trade growth in recent months has also defied certain Western countries' protectionist measures and blatant tariff hikes imposed on Chinese goods. This underscores the resilience, competitiveness and inherent vigor of the world's largest manufacturing powerhouse, analysts said, while pointing to China's unfazed pivotal role as a stabilizer and locomotive of the global supply chain.

In the first seven months this year, China's exports jumped by 6.7 percent, while imports gained 5.4 percent, according to customs data. The 6.2-percent foreign trade expansion also outpaced the 6.1-percent rise recorded in the first six months.

"Since the beginning 2024, China's economy has generally maintained a stable performance with steady progress, and foreign trade has continued to show a steady improvement," the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.

In July, foreign trade in goods soared 6.5 percent year-on-year in yuan terms, with exports gaining 6.5 percent and imports expanding by 6.6 percent. The year-on-year growth rate of imports and exports has been higher than 5 percent for four consecutive months, according to GAC.

"A reading of 6.5-percent in July is a relatively high growth rate, so it is palpable that trade in July sustained the robust expansion streak from the previous month. As July marks the beginning of the second half, the positive data bode well for the second-half trade development," Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Tian also took note of import growth in July, reversing the 0.6-percent contraction in June, which signifies that China's domestic demand is "gaining traction in the second half of the year."

As trade data are a barometer of economic development, the freshly released July figures have led economists to project that China's third-quarter GDP is likely to grow by around 5 percent, or at least gain pace from the second-quarter, which saw a 4.7-percent year-on-year increase.

Li Chang'an, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he expected the economy to continue rebounding throughout the second half, and on a firm trajectory to achieve the GDP growth target of around 5 percent.

"The trade strength will buffer against headwinds, including rising geopolitical tensions and gloomy global economic outlook, while more targeted stimulus will be rolled out following major tone-setting conferences, injecting new impetus into the economic development," Li explained.

Positive trade momentum

According to Tian, the positive trade momentum in July is bolstered by a range of factors, including growing overseas demand amid looming global interest rate cut cycle. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have also partly helped to drive the global demands for "Made in China" commodities, ranging from sports equipment, souvenirs to other goods.

Despite US-led blockade against China's industries, the exports of integrated circuits recorded a year-on-year increase of 25.8 percent, while the exports of auto vehicles went up 20.7 percent.

The buoyant vehicle export mirrored that the impact of tariff imposition on China's overall trade pattern remains limited, observers said. And on the contrary, the US is now "shooting itself on the feet" with its reckless crackdown on Chinese imports, which blunts its efforts to tame down inflation.

The US reported a sharp slowdown in job growth last week, which elicited fears of an economic recession.

In contrast, Li also ascribed its limited impact on Chinese exports to the country's complete industrial chain, the resilience and competitiveness of high-tech trade, as well as private companies' strengthened trade cooperation with a more diversified grouping of trade partners.

In the first seven months, China's trade with ASEAN, Central Asia, Latin America, and Africa totaled 7.6 trillion yuan, up 9.8 percent year-on-year, with its share in total trade gaining by 1 percentage point compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, trade with the Belt and Road Initiative partners and other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) rose by 7.1 percent and 5.7 percent year-on-year, respectively.