As China outlines its priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the country is moving to advance high-standard opening up and further "open wider to the outside world." At a key Party plenum in October, the Communist Party of China leadership adopted its recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, outlining China's economic and social development priorities for the next five years. According to the recommendations, the country should make promoting high-standard opening up a key task for the coming five years, emphasizing that opening up and cooperation for mutual benefit are integral to Chinese modernization.

Shandong in recent years has been making great efforts to contribute to the goals. The coastal province utilizes its topographical advantage to develop green energies both on land and in the sea while building non-fossil energy infrastructure. It is planning a project that integrates storage and transmission of wind and solar power on a saline-alkali tidal area, and a clean energy base mainly depending on photovoltaic power in coal mining subsidence areas. Meanwhile, Shandong has been actively fostering the energy equipment industry, creating a favorable environment for the progress of both the new energy structure transformation and the energy equipment industry development.

Nestled in southwest China, Chongqing Municipality stands out for its noodle-centric cuisine, a stark contrast to the rice-dominated diets prevalent in southern China. Here, noodles are more than just a meal -- they're a culinary staple enjoyed throughout the day, embodying the city's vibrant food culture. Locally known as xiaomian (small noodles), these spicy noodles have transformed from humble street snack into a booming industry with an annual output value exceeding 56 billion yuan (about 7.9 billion U.S. dollars). The city boasts an estimated 86,000 noodle shops, but for years, the sector was fragmented, dominated by small family-run eateries that struggled with inconsistent flavors and branding. This made nationwide expansion and industrial growth challenging.

China's commerce ministry said Wednesday that the country welcomes the Dutch government's move to suspend its administrative order regarding semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, an overseas subsidiary of Chinese company Wingtech. It is "a first step in the right direction toward a proper settlement of the issue," said a spokesperson with the ministry. Government officials of the two countries held two rounds of consultations in Beijing regarding the Nexperia issue on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which the Dutch side offered to suspend the administrative order issued under the "Availability of Goods Act," according to the ministry.

China's leading heavy equipment manufacturer SANY on Wednesday commissioned a new industrial park in Johannesburg, South Africa, strengthening its support for the country's industrialization drive. The 28,000-square-meter industrial park integrates manufacturing and logistics functions as well as a talent training center. Once fully operational, it will have an annual production capacity of around 1,000 excavators. According to Guo Ruiguang, vice president of SANY Group, the company began its global expansion in Africa, where it has sold equipment worth more than 3 billion U.S. dollars and built a comprehensive service network across the continent.

China reclaimed its position as Germany's largest trading partner in the first nine months of 2025, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) released Wednesday. Germany's total trade with China reached 185.9 billion euros (215.13 billion U.S. dollars) from January to September, up 0.6 percent from the same period last year, Destatis said. It noted that Germany imported 124.5 billion euros (144.08 billion dollars) worth of goods from China during the period, up 8.5 percent from a year earlier, driven mainly by electrical equipment, clothing and machinery.