China

China's medical equipment market reached a market capitalization of 1,27 trillion yuan ($179 billion) in 2023, revealed the China Medical Equipment Association; the figure is 10,4% higher than that of 2022

In 2023, for the first time, the country built more ships in its shipyards than all the rest of the world combined, both for civilian and military use; the fact has worried a number of countries including the USA

The heads of China's central bank and economic planning agency have indicated that the authorities would be willing to take further measures to support growth, but have not announced any large-scale stimulus plans

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation announced that Beijing has set the goal of launching 100 space missions in 2024, rivaling the US in a new space race

The 'National Anti-Fraud Centre', an application developed by the Chinese Public Security Bureau to counter suspicious and fraudulent calls, text messages and installed applications, could be also used to monitor Tibetans, according to a new report

The demographic decline in 2023 - negative record of 9,02 million children - reflects challenges like declining labour force, marriages and fertility rate, but it could be due to the horoscope, as 2023 was the year of the rabbit, considered not very lucky

The country reported that it had achieved its target of at least 5% GDP growth, exceeding previous expectations, but it still faces economic headwinds: poor export demand, a critic property market and high youth unemployment

iPhone sales in China fell more than 30% year-on-year in the first week of January, while competitors such as Xiaomi and Huawei 'remained much stronger' with flat sales, according to a note from analysts at Jefferies

A wild Siberian tiger attacked and killed a leopard in a national park in north-east China, a very rare accident; one of the world's most endangered species, about 500 Siberian tigers are believed to be living in the wild

Autumn migration of birds in China has roughly ended and monitoring of wintering habitats is ongoing, according to China's National Forest and Grassland Administration; authorities have intensified monitoring of harvesting areas to avoid man-made damage

Imports and exports expanded by 1,2% year-on-year in November, with exports recording their first dollar expansion in 7 months, beating market expectations with further evidence that China's economic recovery consolidates despite challenges

The WHO asked China for more data on respiratory diseases spreading in the north of the country, urging the population to take steps to reduce the risk of infection