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A changing country. A connected world.

China · East Asia

A changing country. A connected world.

China and its connections to the world

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17 stories
Economy / Analysis

China’s September official PMI returned to expansion, but the survey says more about breadth than output

In Beijing on 30 September 2026, the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing reported a manufacturing PMI of 50.1, a non-manufacturing business activity index of 50.2 and a composite PMI output index of 50.7. Those readings show a month-on-month return to expansion by official diffusion measures, but they do not by themselves establish how much output,收入,

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China and its connections

Economy / Analysis

Why China’s August factory rebound and the northeast’s investment slump can both be true

Mid-September data from China’s statistics bureau showed faster August industrial output but deep January-August investment declines across all regions, worst in the northeast. The gap is not just a growth puzzle: the indicators measure different things, and the regional split suggests China’s rebalancing remains uneven.

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Economy / Analysis

What the World Bank’s 2026-2031 China framework says, and what it still cannot show

A 23 July 2026 World Bank press release says its Board discussed a new China Country Partnership Framework for 2026-2031 and that IBRD lending is to phase down over time. The retrieved record shows strategic direction and priority areas, but not approvals, disbursements, loan terms or results.

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World / Analysis

China’s KCP agreement shows who will fund research, not which studies will win

The April 16, 2026 agreement between China and the World Bank records a planned USD3 million contribution to KCP IV. The available World Bank pages describe the fund and its competition-based design, but they do not show selected studies, disbursement dates or later policy effects.

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Economy / Analysis

China’s liner links and port times are different shipping measures

A February 25, 2026 World Bank-hosted shipping network blog and the World Bank CPPI overview describe different maritime indicators. One counts direct scheduled country-pair liner links; the other measures how long container ships spend in port, so neither can stand in for the other.

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China / Analysis

Jingdezhen’s flood project shows why resilience claims need three separate tests

A World Bank results page on Jingdezhen and a later global overview point to a useful reading rule for urban flood projects: separate claims about water control, information systems and the people or institutions expected to act on warnings. The sources support that framework, but they do not establish Jingdezhen’s operating status or disaster performance in 2026.

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Economy / Analysis

China’s green-skills debate is really about tasks, proof and training quality

A July 2026 World Bank update on China points to rising demand for technical and transferable skills linked to the low-carbon transition. The useful distinction for readers is not simply which industry is called green, but how task requirements, demonstrated competency and training completion differ.

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China / Analysis

In Huangshan’s heritage villages, roads and water mattered as much as restoration

A 2021 World Bank account of 68 villages in Huangshan and a 2017 World Bank policy commentary point to the same distinction: conserving historic buildings, maintaining daily services and creating income are related but separate tasks. The records support a broader test for heritage-led development, while not proving that restoration alone caused tourism or income gains.

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