Top 10 China & global business news stories in 2025: CMG

China Media Group (CMG) rounded up its top 10 business news stories from China and around the world in 2025 on Thursday. 

Top 10 China business news stories

1.  Proposal for the 15th Five Year Plan adopted at the Fourth Plenum

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China reviewed and passed the proposal for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development. This plan sets the roadmap for China's modernization drive in the next five years.

2.  China's economy to reach approximately 140 trillion yuan ($20 trillion) in 2025

In 2025, China's economic aggregate is expected to reach about 140 trillion yuan, marking the successful conclusion of the 14th Five Year Plan. Over the past five years, the country's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities have made solid new strides in advancing Chinese modernization.

3.  Innovation driving modernization: DeepSeek emerges, humanoid robots make debut

Breakthroughs like AI model DeepSeek and impressive showcases of humanoid robots highlighted China's progress, with R&D advancing to the global forefront. The construction of three international sci-tech innovation centers in China was also enhanced.

4.  Hainan Free Trade Port launches island-wide special customs operation

On December 18, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially commenced island-wide special customs operations to facilitate trade, opening a new chapter in China's opening up in the new era.

5.  Trade-ins expanded, sporting event-driven economy booms, emotional consumption rises

Trade-in programs were expanded, the "sporting event-driven economy" continued to heat up, and "emotional consumption" grew rapidly. New business scenarios became new drivers for expanding domestic demand.

6.  Crackdown on "involution" in auto, PV, and steel sectors

Policies were introduced to address "involution-style" competition in industries like automotive, photovoltaic, and steel, red lines were set for price competition among platform enterprises, and the development of a unified national market was further advanced.

7.  Investing in people

More policies on "investing in people" were introduced to support gradual implementation of free preschool education, providing direct childcare incentives, and offering elderly care service incentives directly to individuals.

8.  Film industry thrives

The Chinese film industry flourished, with annual total box office exceeding 50 billion yuan. Chinese animated film "Nezha 2" became the global animation box office champion. 

9.  A-shares market cap breaks 100 trillion yuan; HKEX tops global IPO funding

Chinese assets became more appealing with improved financial systems. The total market capitalization of A-shares exceeded 100 trillion yuan, while the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's annual IPO fundraising totaled over HK$270 billion, ranking first globally, with international capital continuously increasing allocations to Chinese assets.

10. Annual electricity consumption set to exceed 10 Trillion kWh

Annual total electricity consumption nationwide is expected to surpass 10 trillion kilowatt-hours for the first time, with the installed capacity share of renewable energy generation rising to approximately 60 percent, leading global green energy transformation.

Top 10 International business news stories

1. China sustains global growth with 30 percent contribution, countering headwinds

China's economy maintained stable growth despite challenges from unilateralism and protectionism, contributing about 30 percent to global economic expansion and serving as a key driver and stabilizer.

2. China secures favorable outcome with proportional countermeasures after US tariff moves

Following a full-scale tariff war initiated by the US, China implemented proportional countermeasures and subsequently, became the sole major economy to achieve a favorable negotiation outcome, bolstering global economic stability.

3. Largest Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Tianjin 

The summit, the largest since the SCO's founding, saw China advancing a global governance initiative based on extensive consultation and joint contribution. Member states issued a statement supporting the multilateral trading system.

4. China-EU: 50th anniversary of ties

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. Bilateral trade between the two sides has expanded more than 300 times since the establishment of relations.

5. China breaks into top 10 of WIPO Global Innovation Index

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 2025 report, China has entered top 10 of the Global Innovation Index for the first time. China also hosts 24 of the world's top 100 innovation clusters, leading all countries for three consecutive years.

6. "China Travel" gains global appeal as visa-free circle expands

China's expanding visa-free policy has boosted inbound tourism. The nationwide implementation of immediate tax refunds for overseas shoppers has made "Shop in China" a new trend.

7. Gold prices hit highs on robust demand; silver outpaces

Strong demand from central banks and investors drove international gold prices to historic highs. Silver prices rose approximately twice as fast as gold, influenced by widening supply-demand gaps.

8. Tech giants ramp up computing power investment amid AI competition

Driven by policies and technological breakthroughs, international tech giants intensified investment in computing infrastructure, fueling fierce global competition in artificial intelligence.

9. 43-day US government shutdown disrupts official data publication

A record 43-day US federal government shutdown disrupted publication of key economic data, affecting Federal Reserve policy decisions, as the national debt continues to pose severe challenges to economic prospects.

10. BRICS advances Global South collaboration; G20 highlights "Africa Moment"

BRICS cooperation strengthened solidarity within the Global South. The G20's "Africa Moment" amplified the voice of emerging economies, fostering efforts toward a more just global governance system.