This episode contains segments on:

• China’s August 2026 macroeconomic data
• China’s January to July 2026 foreign trade in services data
• 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services
• European Commission launches first review of the International Procurement Instrument

Listeners are also invited to attend the official launch of the European Chamber’s European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027 online on 22nd September.

Contact:

We’d love to hear your feedback. Contact us at website@europeanchamber.com.cn.

Follow the European Chamber on LinkedIn, X, WeChat (europeanchamber), and sign up for our newsletter here, to get notified on new episodes.

Read more:

China’s August 2026 macroeconomic data

https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202609/t20260915_1965308.html

https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202609/t20260915_1965311.html

https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202609/t20260915_1965307.html

China’s January to July 2026 Foreign Trade in Services Data

https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/sjfzrfb/art/2026/art_5c319d06cbc3478688b14ffc3444ab25.html

2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS)

https://www.baidu.com/link?url=zCZaXyVPG2w0wmBPXwi0El909ccT_3ytA5S1wZJ4kUTP1rFLRTGxMff8Gs5S0yFUPqiG8Bg2l3lwapRrIBRFo2lwRga2QyX430tIkLRqOjCKS-8b6L03J7byl_IGX0oW&wd=&eqid=b9e317eb001a3855000000066aa8a224

European Commission launches first review of the International Procurement Instrument

https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-launches-consultation-first-review-international-procurement-instrument-2026-09-10_en

https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/consultations/public-consultation-first-review-functioning-international-procurement-instrument_en

European Chamber event: European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027 launch

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/uyLlb2Tqub9ClQ7iyD2luw

Transcript:

RUI: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts,

MARIANN: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape.

RUI: This episode was recorded on 16^th September 2026.  

(MUSIC)

RUI: According to data release by the National Bureau of Statistics on 15^th September, industrial production growth in China accelerated in August.

MARIANN: Industrial production among larger firms in China—those with an annual income upwards of 20 million RMB per annum—grew by 5.2 per cent year-on-year in August, up from 4.5 per cent in July. Manufacturing production increased by 6.1 per cent; while the output of lithium-ion batteries, industrial robots and 3D printing equipment rose sharply by 57.2 per cent, 34.6 per cent and 29.9 per cent year-on-year respectively over the same time frame.

RUI: As a result, industrial production among larger industrial firms during the January-August period of 2026, increased by 5.3 per cent compared to 2025’s levels.

MARIANN: By contrast, retail sales grew by a slower 1.1 per cent year-on-year overall during the first eight months of the year, having increased by 0.4 per cent in August 2026 relative to August 2025’s levels, when 3.98 trillion Chinese Yuan worth of goods were sold. A continued decline in sales of automotive vehicles, which fell by 18.5 per cent year-on-year in August, contributed to this finding.

(MUSIC)

RUI: According to data published by the Ministry of Commerce on 3^rd September, the cumulative value of China’s services trade with the rest of the world stood at 4.5 trillion yuan during the first seven months of 2026, down from 4.6 trillion yuan a year prior.

MARIANN: China’s service exports fell to 1.8 trillion yuan, down from 2 trillion during the first seven months of 2025. Imports of services to China rose to 2.7 trillion yuan over the same timeframe, up from 2.6 trillion in January-August 2025. As a result, China recorded a trade in services deficit with the rest of the world of 900 billion yuan during the first seven months of 2026.

(MUSIC)

RUI: The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services—or CIFTIS—took place from 9^th to 13^th September in Beijing, marking the first national-level comprehensive exhibition for trade in services to be held during China’s 15^th Five-Year Plan period. This year’s CIFTIS featured dedicated exhibitions on finance; culture and tourism; education; sports; health; engineering consulting and construction; telecommunications; computer and information; transportation; and energy services.

MARIANN: Improving China’s service trade with the rest of the world is currently a key policy objective for the Chinese Government and listed as a goal in country’s 15^th Five-year Plan, which calls for further opening of China’s service sector in areas including the telecommunications, internet, education, culture, and healthcare industries, as well as development of the nighttime economy and the ‘silver economy’.

RUI: European companies recognise the huge growth potential of China’s service sector and are eager to contribute their expertise to its development. However, for this to be possible, widespread market access and regulatory barriers will need to be dismantled.

(MUSIC)

RUI: The European Commission launched the first review of its International Procurement Instrument—or IPI—on 4^th September, with stakeholders having until 27^th November 2026 to provide feedback on the instrument’s scope, functionality and efficiency.

MARIANN: The IPI was previously used on 24^th April of 2024, when the European Commission launched an investigation into the procurement of medical devices in China, following concerns that Chinese procurement policies give unfair preference to domestic suppliers.

Following this, in June 2025, the EU’s member states voted to restrict Chinese medical device manufacturers’ access to the EU’s public procurement market under the IPI. Chinese firms will be prohibited from accessing public procurement contracts worth more than euro (EUR) 5 million for a period of five years.

RUI: According to a readout published by the European Commission on 10^th September, “experience gained from the first IPI investigation and the first IPI measure on medical devices will be taken into consideration to evaluate how contracting authorities, contracting entities and businesses apply the IPI Regulation and the IPI measure”.

(MUSIC)

RUI: On 22^nd September, the European Chamber will publish its European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027, which comprises 33 individual industry and horizontal position papers that provide constructive recommendations on how to improve the business environment for companies operating in China.

This year’s Executive Position Paper evaluates numerous structural imbalances facing China’s economy, as well as their impact on the country’s trade and investment relations with key trade parters.

MARIANN: Join us on 22^nd September for the official launch of the European Business in China Position Paper 2026/2027. The report will also be available to download for free at the Chamber’s website shortly after its publication.

(MUSIC)

RUI : Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to tune in again after the national holiday. We wish you a happy mid-autumn festival and national holiday ahead.

MARIANN: In the meantime, please find useful links in the episode notes.