China

China Daily | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

The World Bank has raised its economic growth forecast for China in 2025 by 0.4 percentage points, reflecting a more optimistic outlook for the world's second-largest economy. This revision is attributed to supportive fiscal and monetary policies that have bolstered domestic consumption and investment.

Exports have also been sustained by demand from developing countries, contributing to the positive growth expectations. The World Bank emphasizes that China's future growth will increasingly rely on domestic demand rather than external factors.

Mara Warwick, division director for China, Mongolia, and Korea at the World Bank, highlighted the importance of short-term fiscal stimulus alongside structural reforms, particularly in the social protection system. She also called for a more predictable business environment to enhance confidence and support resilient, sustainable economic growth.

China Daily | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEnergy Prices

China's domestic crude oil output is expected to reach a record 215 million metric tons in 2025, reflecting the country's strengthened focus on energy self-reliance amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and global supply chain challenges. This growth culminates a period of robust exploration success and steady production increases during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), during which China added 105 million tons of new crude oil capacity. Offshore crude oil has driven over 60 percent of new petroleum output for five consecutive years.

Despite rapid development in clean energy, fossil fuels remain critical for energy security and system stability, with over 30 percent of oil and 37 percent of natural gas expected to come from ocean sources. China leads global investment in energy transition, accounting for 39 percent of the over $2 trillion invested worldwide in 2024. In natural gas, China has recorded year-on-year production growth of 10 billion cubic meters for nine straight years, solidifying its position as the world's fourth-largest producer, with output projected at 260 billion cubic meters in 2025—a 35 percent increase since the last five-year plan.

Cumulative proven reserves have increased substantially during the 14th Five-Year Plan, with oil reserves surpassing 7 billion tons and natural gas reserves exceeding 7 trillion cubic meters, marking roughly 40 percent growth compared to the prior period. The national oil and gas pipeline network now extends 195,000 kilometers, promoting a unified national grid. China’s oil and gas sector is entering a new phase of enhanced production efficiency and green development, aiming to establish a secure, resilient, and modernized energy system that supports national energy security and economic stability.

Global Times | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized Japan's recent military expansion and efforts to amend its pacifist constitution, arguing that these moves fuel doubts about Japan's future and prompt renewed scrutiny of its historical war crimes. Guo highlighted Japan's shifts in security policy, including lifting bans on collective self-defense, easing weapons export restrictions, and pursuing counterattack capabilities, along with discussions about acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. These actions, coupled with a 13-year consecutive increase in defense spending, have heightened regional and international concern.

Guo also pointed to Japan's insufficient reflection on its World War II aggression, noting that many war criminals remained active in politics and the military post-war. He criticized visits by former Japanese officials to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals, and efforts to revise history textbooks to downplay aggression. Guo claimed that Japanese militarism has never been fully eradicated and that right-wing factions focus on Japan's defeat rather than its responsibility for war.

Emphasizing Japan’s obligations under the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation and its Instrument of Surrender, Guo called for political and legal measures to restrict Japan's military capabilities and erase militaristic ideology. He urged the international community to remain vigilant against any attempts to revive Japanese militarism and to protect the post-World War II peace and security framework established by these agreements.