This episode contains segments on:
- China’s January–September FDI utilisation;
- China’s January–September industrial profits;
- China’s new export control measures;
- The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade’s visit to China;
- European Chamber’s EU Tour 2026
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Read more:
China January–September FDI utilisation
https://mo.mofcom.gov.cn/tjsj/ndtzsj/art/2026/art_3f6e7d3a814b4e75ac5ec11e8e9af0cd.html
China January–September industrial profits
https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202610/t20261027_1965697.html
https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/sjjd/202610/t20261027_1965698.html
China’s new export control measures
https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zcfb/zc/art/2026/art_b2fa4e60bcd24bdf8c658e476b808785.html
https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zcfb/zc/art/2026/art_1628d886f39840489513af242f93517b.html
https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zcfb/zc/art/2026/art_f4ab31f0b7e94c159b357e39f5a12fc9.html
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade’s visit to China
European Chamber’s EU Tour 2026
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3SIuXGQ-tg5fGfXW8bY6IQ
Transcript:
RUI: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts,
XINHE: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape.
RUI: This episode was recorded on 28th October 2026.
(MUSIC)
RUI: According to data released by China’s Ministry of Commerce on 23rd October, the country’s actual use of foreign direct investment—or FDI—declined overall in the first three quarters of 2026, despite an uptick recorded in September.
XINHE: China’s FDI utilisation amounted to 549 billion yuan in the January–September period. This means a drop of 4.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. The data for the month of September showed a 2.5 per cent increase year-on-year, but this alone was not enough to offset the downward trend and it remains to be seen if it constitutes an inflection point. In the first nine months of the year, FDI channelled into China’s high-tech industry continued to increase, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the total FDI utilisation.
(MUSIC)
RUI: Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics on 27th October showed that the growth in profits at larger industrial firms in China accelerated in the January to September period this year.
XINHE: In the first three quarters of 2026, industrial profits rose 15.5 per cent year-on-year, to around 6 trillion yuan in total. A key factor pushing the figure up for the first three quarters was a sharp rise in manufacturing profits, which were up 17 per cent year-on-year. Most prominently, industrial profits at larger firms operating in the computer, communications, and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries registered strong growth, with their profits more than doubling from a year ago.
(MUSIC)
RUI: On 19th October, the Ministry of Commerce announced a package of export control measures, with updated measures on certain unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), certain dredger-related items and equipment, and new measures on high-end engineering equipment, including tunnel boring machines and walking excavators. The export controls will take effect on 18th November.
In separate announcements released by the Ministry of Commerce on the same day, a ministry spokesperson pointed out that the measures are “aimed at safeguarding China’s national security and interests and fulfilling international obligations such as non-proliferation”.
XINHE: Export controls remain a legitimate mechanism for preventing the proliferation of weapons and the spread of items and technologies that have both civilian and military purposes to users with hostile intent. However, over the past decade there has been an increasing number of cases of them being repurposed as strategic trade measures.
To ensure that export controls serve their primary purpose, they should be designed and applied in a highly targeted manner. The Chamber hopes that China’s Ministry of Commerce, along with other related ministries and departments, will provide clear and transparent guidance on the relevant measures and their implementation.
(MUSIC)
RUI: From 27th to 29th October, a 12-member delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) is visiting China for talks with Chinese counterparts and government officials. The delegation is scheduled to hold meetings in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
XINHE: According to the official press release, during the visit, the delegation will engage in direct discussions with Chinese counterparts and government officials on “fair competition, better market access for European companies, industrial subsidies, secure supply chains, and critical raw materials”, with the aim to “assess China’s trade policies firsthand, raise EU concerns, and explore opportunities for cooperation”.
RUI: On 27th October, the delegation met with representatives of the European Chamber. The two sides discussed issues related to the EU-China relationship, including market access barriers and some of the structural imbalances in China that are impacting European companies.
(MUSIC)
RUI: A European Chamber delegation began its 2026 EU tour to Brussels on 26th October, to present the newly released European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027 and share first-hand industry insights from the Chinese market with European officials, the Chinese Ambassador to the EU, leading think tanks and industry associations.
XINHE: The delegation is made up of Chamber President Jens Eskelund, vice presidents, board members, overseas representatives and senior working group representatives. On 26th October, the delegation met with Valdis Dombrovskis, European commissioner for economy and productivity and commissioner for implementation and simplification, in addition to other European officials.
RUI: The delegation also met with representatives of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, COCIR and MedTech Europe, the European Policy Centre, Bruegel and the EU Institute for Security Studies.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to tune in again next week.
RUI: In the meantime, please find useful links in the episode notes.