NEWS / the week of Nov 7 to 13, 2026
Current news about China and the Chinese people.
NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. Reports from China often reach the US with a time lag, and the views expressed reflect a variety of news sources.
U.S.–China Relations
China extends suspension of 24% tariff on US imports for two months — Nov 9, 2026
China's finance ministry said it will keep its extra 24% tariff on American imports suspended for two more months from Nov 10, while a 10% tariff stays in place, stretching the trade truce with Washington into January ahead of next week's APEC summit. (Reuters via Yahoo Finance)
US President Donald Trump plans to meet Putin and Xi in China next week — Nov 9, 2026
President Trump said he expects to meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Shenzhen on Nov 18–19, naming an end to the Iran war and nuclear arms control as topics. Some US analysts doubt the talks will produce much beyond a photo opportunity. (Euronews)
China's giant pandas make public debut at US zoo — Nov 7, 2026
Zoo Atlanta opened its doors for visitors to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, two giant pandas born in 2020 and flown from Chengdu in September on a 10-year loan. The zoo, which hosted pandas from 1999 to 2024, said the animals unite people around the world. (AFP via The Jakarta Post)
China & the World
What to watch as Shenzhen prepares to host APEC leaders — Nov 12, 2026
Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies gather in Shenzhen on Nov 18–19, China's third time hosting APEC after 2001 and 2014. The agenda stresses openness, innovation and cooperation at a time when tariffs are straining trade; regional growth this year is projected at 3.4%. (CGTN)
2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to run entirely on green electricity — Nov 13, 2026
China Southern Power Grid says the Shenzhen summit venues will run on 100% traceable green power. It has secured 89 million kWh in advance from offshore wind farms in Guangdong and wind and solar bases in the deserts and Gobi of northwest China. (CGTN)
Economy & Business
China's trade surplus surpasses $1 trillion for a 2nd straight year, as exports surge 35% — Nov 10, 2026
China's exports jumped about 35% in October from a year earlier, to roughly $412 billion, while imports grew about 42%, according to customs data. The monthly surplus narrowed to $105.3 billion from $133.5 billion in September, but the surplus for January to October has already passed $1 trillion for the second year in a row and is on course to top last year's record of $1.2 trillion. Demand linked to artificial intelligence drove much of the growth: semiconductor exports rose 137% and car exports 38%, and shipments to the European Union climbed 24%. A Moody's Analytics economist warned that a cooling AI boom would hurt exports, and a Natixis economist called the imbalance unsustainable. Beijing says it is not aiming for a bigger surplus and wants more balanced trade. (AP; this site may not open in mainland China)
China's Singles Day sales rise 4.8% to $1.78 trillion; AI takes larger role — Nov 12, 2026
Data firm Syntun estimates sales in this year's month-long Singles' Day promotion grew only 4.8%, to 1.78 trillion yuan ($267 billion), down from 14.2% growth last year, as cautious shoppers held back. AI gadgets such as AI laptops and smart glasses more than doubled. (Reuters)
China's October car exports stay resilient — Nov 9, 2026
China's passenger car exports rose 68% in October to 932,000 vehicles, but sales at home fell 27% to 1.65 million, a 12th straight monthly decline. The national car association expects export growth to slow, with the Middle East becoming a key market next year. (Reuters via The Standard)
Science & Technology
China launches new low-orbit internet satellite group — Nov 9, 2026
A Long March-12 rocket lifted off from the Hainan commercial launch site in Wenchang early Monday, carrying the 29th group of satellites for China's low-Earth-orbit internet network. It was the 676th flight of the Long March rocket family. (CGTN)
237-million-year-old fossils reveal a bizarre armored sea amphibian — Nov 10, 2026
Researchers from UC Davis, Peking University and the Geological Museum of Guizhou describe Gerrothorax maritimus, a three-foot armored amphibian found in Guizhou that seems to have spent its whole life at sea, drinking seawater and clearing salt through its gills, unlike any amphibian alive today. (ScienceDaily)
Society, Culture & Sports
Postscript: China Opens School Dedicated to Ancient Chinese Writing — Nov 10, 2026
A new School for Rare and Endangered Disciplines opened in Beijing on Nov 6 to train specialists in oracle bone script and more than 10 other ancient scripts. Only about 500 people nationwide work in the field, and nearly two-thirds of known oracle bone characters remain undeciphered. (Sixth Tone) While we do not believe the evolutionary timeline stated here, we share this as a research and science update.
Fallback to First Choice: Why Chinese Parents Are Rethinking Vocational Schools — Nov 10, 2026
In Shanghai, programs linking vocational high schools to university degrees have grown so popular that over 80% raised their entry scores this year. Parents see a more certain route to jobs, though some graduates say few classmates end up working in their field of study. (Sixth Tone)
Faith & Mission
Called to Work Marks 30 Years With Global Online Celebration — Nov 11, 2026
Called to Work, a Chinese Christian workplace ministry begun in 1996 at a New Jersey church, marked its 30th anniversary online. It plans conferences in 15 North American cities, starting in the San Francisco Bay Area in June 2027, plus new Chinese-language faith-and-work resources. (China Christian Daily)