China’s flagship overseas infrastructure finance programme the Belt and Road Initiative increased by three-quarters to a record $213.5bn in 2025 as Beijing sought to take advantage of wavering US influence around the world by pouring funding into development projects.

Shipments to Asean and Africa surged to drive a record US$1.19 trillion surplus for China, offsetting headwinds as leaders push to boost local demand

The trip, a whirlwind of meetings with Chinese industry and top government officials, conveyed how the prime minister is viewing the wider world.

For China, the record $1.2 trillion annual trade surplus its authorities reported Wednesday is resounding proof of the resilience of its economy in the face of US trade friction.

BEIJING -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night, beginning a four-day visit designed to repair foundering relations between the two nations as Canada looks to develop relations with countries other than the United States.

But that thickened a hazardous smog, which cloaked Beijing every winter. In 2017 the government banned coal burning and started installing gas heaters instead. The plan (combined with other measures,

Beijing’s air pollution continued to get worse for some years after the games as China continued to industrialize, grow, and urbanize, but since reaching it’s peak in 2013, the city has seen a drastic drop in pollution.

China responded by imposing duties of 100% on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood. It added a 75.8% tariff on canola seeds last August. Collectively, the import taxes effectively closed the Chinese market to Canadian canola exports, an industry group said.

Beijing residents witness the first snow of 2026 on January 18, 2026.Photo: VCG. Beijing’s plain areas continue to see light snow on Sunday morning, with yellow alerts in place

Several districts in Beijing issued a blue alert for snowstorms on the afternoon of Jan 17, prompting the city's transport authorities to activate emergency response measures to ensure safe and orderly travel during the snowfall.