China's foreign exchange reserves rose in December 2025.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $3.3579 trillion as of the end of December 2025, up $11.5 billion or 0.34 percent from the level at the end of November 2025, data released Wednesday by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) showed.

The State Treasury Department stated that, influenced by factors such as macroeconomic data and monetary policy in the world's largest economies, the US dollar index fell last month, while global financial asset prices showed mixed dynamics.

The increase in the country's foreign exchange reserves last December was made possible by changes in the exchange rate and asset prices, the department added. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The trend of "weekend trips to Dongning" has become fashionable among Russian travelers.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Beijing, January 7 (Xinhua) — Since September 2025, when China introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russians with regular passports, "weekend trips to Dongning" have become popular among them. Furthermore, visiting relatives living nearby on the other side of the Sino-Russian border has become fashionable for residents of both countries.

The Zhongguo Xinwenshe news agency website reports that, according to statistics, as of December 31, 2025, the number of Russian tourists entering and exiting China through the Dongning checkpoint (Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China) exceeded 32,000, an increase of 73.9 percent year-on-year.

The Dongning Port is located in a key area of the Northeast Asian trade and economic corridor and is China's closest land crossing to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. Over its 36-year development, the Dongning Port has become an important conduit for expanding Heilongjiang Province's ties with the outside world.

Following the introduction of visa-free travel for Russians, the city of Dongning developed a series of cultural and creative souvenirs, "Dongning Gifts," and launched tourism products that better meet the needs of Chinese and Russian tourists. In Dongning, the cultural tourism industry has become a key driver of economic growth and deepening people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia.

It's worth noting that since the dismantling of the toll booth in Dongning last year, it has not only saved time and money on cross-border visa-free travel but also reduced logistics and transportation costs. According to statistics, in the year since the toll booth's dismantling, 190,000 residents and over 3,000 trucks have benefited, resulting in savings of over 25 million yuan (approximately $3.56 million) in tolls for drivers and passengers.

In addition, Dongning City has also established an interdepartmental information exchange and coordination mechanism, and, taking into account the specific nature of visa-free passenger flow from Russia, customs clearance and inspection resources have been dynamically allocated to ensure orderly passage through the checkpoint.

As a reminder, China introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports from September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026. Russian citizens holding valid passports can visit China under the visa-free regime for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit. Their visa-free stay in China may not exceed 30 days.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China accounted for more than 60 percent of global express delivery volume growth between 2021 and 2025.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — China accounted for more than 60 percent of the global growth in courier shipments during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with nearly 200 billion parcels handled in China by the end of 2025, according to official data released Wednesday.

According to the State Postal Administration (SPA) of China, the operating revenue of China's postal industry in 2025 will reach 1.8 trillion yuan (about 256.5 billion US dollars), and the average annual growth rate of this figure for the period from 2021 to 2025 will remain at the level of 10 percent.

The rapid expansion of the postal industry has resulted in the number of courier parcels per capita increasing to 141 per year, and the daily volume record for the period 2021-2025 reaching 777 million units.

The coverage of courier services in the domestic market has significantly increased between 2021 and 2025, said Zhao Chongju, head of the Prosecutor General's Office of China, adding that free e-commerce delivery services have been extended to remote regions, including the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Xizang Autonomous Region.

According to Zhao Chunjiu, over the past five years, the volume of processed express parcels in central and western China has grown significantly, which has helped these regions better integrate into the unified pan-Chinese market.

The postal industry has also undergone a high-tech transformation. Large sorting centers are now largely automated, and drones and driverless vehicles are also used regularly.

According to Zhao Chunjiu, by 2026, the GPU will promote the implementation of unmanned delivery technologies and advance green and low-carbon development in the sector. The GPU is also committed to improving the quality of international logistics services by building more overseas warehouses and air cargo hubs. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Mainland China vows to advance national reunification

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — In 2026, the Chinese mainland will resolutely oppose separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence" and suppress external interference, unite the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots, promote the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, and advance the cause of national reunification, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Looking back on the past year, Chen Binhua said 2025 was the year when cross-Straits relations advanced despite challenges and the cause of national reunification gained momentum.

He said efforts had been made to promote cross-strait exchanges, cooperation and integrated development to a higher level, and demonstrated even stronger capabilities to curb separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" and prevent outside interference.

"The wheel of history is rapidly rolling forward, and the historical process of national reunification and national revival is moving forward," said Chen Binhua. "The complete reunification of our country must be achieved, and it will certainly be realized." -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China tightens regulations on live-streaming e-commerce and online trading platforms

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese authorities on Wednesday released two separate documents aimed at further regulating the country's e-commerce livestreaming sector and online trading platforms.

New regulations on online live sales, jointly issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Internet Information Office, set obligations and behavioral restrictions for business participants.

Under the new rules, live streaming platform operators and marketers are prohibited from engaging in activities such as false advertising, commercial defamation, and the sale of illegal products and services.

Another regulation is devoted to the rules governing online trading platforms, which are aimed at maintaining the orderly conduct of online trading and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all parties.

According to the new regulations, such platforms must not use their rules to impose unreasonable restrictions on the commercial activities of their own merchants or charge them unreasonable fees, and must not restrict consumer rights, engage in data-based price discrimination, or unilaterally change membership terms.

To ensure effective implementation, the two bodies will strengthen interagency cooperation through information exchange and joint consultations. Online platforms are also encouraged to conduct self-assessments and regularly publish compliance reports. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Russia's Primorsky Krai has begun to attract tourists from China's southern provinces.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Vladivostok, January 7 (Xinhua) — Tourists from China's southern provinces have begun visiting Russia's Primorsky Krai, Primorsky Krai Tourism Minister Natalya Naboychenko announced.

As TASS reported on Wednesday, according to N. Naboychenko, the large groups of Chinese tourists often encountered before the pandemic are being replaced by smaller groups. Guests are choosing individual tours and individual options. Tourists from China's southern provinces have flocked to Primorye, a slightly different target audience seeking a higher-quality vacation experience—good hotels, restaurants, and a cultural program.

Previously, the Primorsky Krai tourism industry aimed to attract tourists from the southern provinces of China, who are more interested in individual and exclusive vacations.

The regional Ministry of Tourism predicts a 5-10 percent year-on-year increase in tourist flow by the end of 2025. Total tourist flow in 2025 is expected to exceed 4.3 million people. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Cross-strait trade volume continued to grow in 2025, according to a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — Taiwan-invested enterprises on the Chinese mainland continued their steady and healthy development in 2025, with Taiwan-invested investment and cross-Strait trade also seeing steady growth last year, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

As Chen Binhua noted, in the first 10 months of 2025, 6,423 new enterprises with Taiwanese investment were established in mainland China, with the actual volume of Taiwanese investment utilized on the mainland reaching US$1.75 billion, an increase of 53 percent year-on-year.

In particular, 2,043 of the above-mentioned enterprises were established in Fujian Province, and the volume of Taiwanese investment actually utilized by this province reached US$670 million.

Chen Binhua added that from January to November 2025, trade volume between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan Island reached US$285.395 billion, an increase of 7.3 percent year-on-year.

Highlighting the Chinese mainland's efforts to promote cross-strait people-to-people exchanges, he said that in 2025, airlines would operate more than 610 cross-strait passenger flights weekly.

According to data, from January to November 2025, the passenger traffic on the ferry service between Kinmen and Xiamen was more than 1.75 million person-times, an increase of 45.77 percent year-on-year, Chen Binhua said. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Saudi Arabia's air force raided the hometown of an STC leader in southern Yemen.

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Aden, Yemen, January 7 (Xinhua) — Saudi warplanes carried out an air strike on the hometown of Aidarus al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), in Yemen's southern Dhale' province early Wednesday morning.

The raid was intense, with approximately 14 strikes carried out in a short period, a local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Saudi warplanes are still flying at low altitude over several areas of the province and some other neighboring areas, the official said.

Local residents told Xinhua that a series of powerful explosions were heard and tremors were felt in nearby residential areas. There have been no official reports of casualties at this time.

The strikes occurred after local media reported that A. al-Zubaidi had left his known location in the southern port city of Aden. He had not boarded a scheduled flight to Saudi Arabia, where he was expected to participate in discussions on the situation in southern Yemen, and instead departed for an unknown destination.

His absence added to uncertainty over the expected talks, which observers saw as an attempt to ease rising tensions and resolve disputes between forces in the south and Yemen's Saudi-backed government.

A representative of the Aden-based STC told Xinhua, also on condition of anonymity, that A. al-Zubaidi "was unwilling to travel under the current circumstances, citing intense pressure and the deadline set by Saudi authorities."

Military tensions and simultaneous movements of rival armed groups in southern Yemen have increased over the past few hours.

Last week, airstrikes and ground operations by the Saudi-led coalition forced STC forces to withdraw from the oil-rich Hadramaut province on the Saudi border and the Mahra province on the Omani border. STC forces recaptured both provinces from Saudi-backed government forces last December.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China's Foreign Ministry: China's legitimate rights and interests in Venezuela must be protected

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) — Venezuela is a sovereign state with full and permanent sovereignty over its natural resources and all economic activities within its territory, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

The legitimate rights and interests of China and other countries in Venezuela must be protected, Mao Ning emphasized.

She said China strongly condemned the United States' military action against Venezuela and demanded that Venezuela adhere to the "America First" principle when managing its oil resources.

This move by the US, a typical act of bullying, grossly violates international law, seriously infringes on Venezuela's sovereignty, and harms the rights of the Venezuelan people, the Chinese diplomat noted at a regular departmental press conference.

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How a Russian student found her home in China

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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Guiyang, January 7 (Xinhua) — Nine years ago, Russian Tatyana Kucherova first came to Guizhou Province (southwest China) and never imagined it would become her "second home." Today, the student journalist has firmly established herself here, using camera and words to tell the Guizhou chapter of Chinese history.

In September 2016, Tatyana arrived at Guizhou University to study Chinese. Two years later, she passed the HSK 5 (level 5) exam, and in 2019, she entered Guizhou University's master's program in journalism.

"Seeing is believing." Before arriving in China, her impressions of the country were largely based on what others had told her, but after experiencing it firsthand, she was truly struck by its vitality and rapid development.

The first time in Guizhou was difficult. The first obstacle was food. "At first, I ate bread every day and couldn't handle spicy food at all." But she decided to follow local customs. After trying pepper for the first time with Chinese friends, she gradually became hooked, and "the more I ate, the better it tasted."

Now, however, dishes without pepper seem insufficiently flavorful to her. She laughingly explains that every time she returns to Russia, she always packs a few jars of Laoganma sauce (a hot sauce with crispy chili peppers) in her suitcase.

When she first arrived, there were few foreigners in Guizhou, and Tatyana often attracted attention as she strolled the streets. Now, with more and more foreign visitors, she has transformed from an object of observation into an active participant in local life.

At university, she met a fellow university graduate from Shanxi Province (Northern China). Their shared interests brought them together, they fell in love, and started a family. Charmed by the pleasant climate, comfortable pace of life, and simple customs of the locals, they decided to settle in Guizhou Province.

Tatyana has witnessed the changes in Guiyang (the administrative center of Guizhou Province). In 2016, the commute from the university to the city center took over two hours by bus. Now, with the opening of three subway lines in Guiyang, the same journey takes just an hour. She admires how Guiyang, while developing, retains its natural beauty and is amazed by the rapid pace of change.

Her role is also changing. In her free time, she shares her daily life in Guizhou on social media, gradually attracting an audience. In 2023, as she had hoped, she joined the editorial staff of the Guizhou Daily newspaper, becoming a presenter at the international media center. Filming short videos, covering news events… through social media platforms, she introduces the world to the culture of ethnic minorities, cuisine, and landscapes of Guizhou.

With the introduction of a visa-free regime between China and Russia, more and more Russian friends are contacting her, wanting to come to China as tourists, and many Russian parents have also begun to encourage their children to learn Chinese.

Tatyana and her husband have already purchased a new apartment in Guiyang and are actively preparing for renovations. From a young woman learning the language to a current promoter of Guizhou culture, she says the longer she lives here, the more she discovers Guizhou's charms. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.