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BEIJING, China — China’s consumer inflation accelerated unexpectedly in November 2025, reaching the fastest pace in nearly two years. Official data released Wednesday showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the primary gauge of inflation, climbing notably, primarily driven by surging food costs. This uptick underscores growing traction in domestic demand, bolstered by ongoing government stimulus, even as factory-gate prices showed tentative signs of bottoming out.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the CPI grew by 0.7% year-on-year (YoY) in November. This figure marks a significant increase from the 0.2% rise recorded in October and represents the fastest growth rate since March 2024.

The acceleration was largely attributed to a turnaround in food prices. According to NBS statistician Dong Lijuan, food costs rebounded by 0.2% in November after declining 2.9% in October. A key contributor was fresh vegetables, whose prices surged 14.5% year-on-year, breaking a nine-month period of decline.

Demand Policies Fuel Core Inflation

Beyond volatile food and energy, government measures aimed at boosting internal demand continued to influence price stability. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices and provides a clearer picture of underlying demand, held steady, rising 1.2% year-on-year in November, matching the previous month’s increase.

Specific sectors directly impacted by consumption policies witnessed marked price hikes. The NBS data indicated prices for home appliances and clothing rose by 4.9% and 2.0% year-on-year, respectively. Conversely, energy prices declined 3.4% from a year earlier, a steeper dip than in October. Despite the broad increase in November, the average CPI for the first 11 months of 2025 remained flat compared with the same period a year earlier.

Factory Deflation Narrows Amid Stabilization

While consumer inflation accelerated, the Producer Price Index (PPI), which tracks wholesale costs for goods leaving the factory gate, continued its stretch of decline. The PPI fell 2.2% year-on-year in November, slightly widening from the 2.1% drop in October, largely due to a higher comparative basis in the previous year.

Crucially, however, signs of industrial stabilization emerged on a month-over-month basis. The PPI edged up 0.1% sequentially in November, marking the second consecutive monthly gain. This modest increase suggests that macro policies designed to support the industrial sector, including efforts to reduce excess production capacity and curb disorderly competition, are beginning to take effect. Specific improvements were noted in sectors such as coal mining, solar equipment, and lithium-ion batteries, where price declines narrowed.

Economic Outlook and Policy Direction

The positive inflation figures arrive as Chinese authorities affirm confidence in meeting the year’s key economic objectives. The economy previously expanded 5.2% year-on-year in the first three quarters, positioning the country to achieve its annual GDP growth target of around 5% for 2025.

Looking ahead to 2026, policymakers are signaling a shift toward more robust intervention. A recent meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee emphasized the need for more proactive, effective, and forward-looking macro policies. The consensus is to strengthen domestic demand and improve supply quality to ensure sustainable growth.

Wen Bin, Chief Economist at China Minsheng Bank, projects that as policies aimed at expanding domestic demand fully materialize, China is likely to experience a “mild price recovery” throughout the next calendar year, providing a firmer foundation for economic rebound. This suggests the recent uptick in CPI may signal the beginning of a larger trend toward economic normalization and stability.

China successfully orbited nine satellites, including a significant environmental observation craft for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a pioneering power grid monitoring satellite, following the launch of a Lijian-1 carrier rocket, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. The launch, which took place at 12:03 p.m. Beijing Time from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, marked a notable advance in both China’s domestic utility monitoring capabilities and its continued collaboration in international space initiatives. All satellites were successfully placed into their intended orbits.

New Era for Power Grid Monitoring

A key component of the payload was Jixing High-Resolution 07D01, China’s first remote-sensing satellite dedicated specifically to the nation’s power industry. Designed for highly precise infrastructure surveillance, this sophisticated satellite boasts a spatial resolution finer than 0.5 meters.

The precision offered by the new spacecraft enables detailed structural health monitoring of critical power grid components, such as transmission lines and towers. According to the State Grid Electric Power Engineering Research Institute, one of the satellite’s developers, the Jixing system is engineered for continuous, long-strip observations. In a single pass, it can survey over 200 kilometers of transmission corridor, offering a game-changing capability for maintenance and inspection.

This advancement is projected to increase the surveying precision for transmission projects and line inspections by more than fivefold compared to existing operational satellite systems. Its diverse applications encompass managing vast ultra-high voltage (UHV) projects, evaluating the environmental impact of transmission networks, scrutinizing crucial power corridors, issuing disaster warnings, and rapidly assessing post-disaster damage.

International Cooperation and Regional Insight

The mission also underscored strengthening space collaboration between China and the Middle East, carrying the UAE-led satellite designated 813. This craft is dedicated to critical environmental analysis, specifically focused on observing soil health, climate patterns, and wider ecological conditions. The inclusion of the UAE satellite highlights the increasing accessibility of Chinese launch services for international partners seeking reliable access to orbit for scientific and commercial purposes.

Furthermore, the launch addressed specific regional needs within China. Among the remaining satellites were two remote-sensing craft designated for various public utility applications in Hefei, the capital city of East China’s Anhui Province. These satellites will support local initiatives pertaining to water resource management, urban governance optimization, and the ongoing digital transformation within the municipal district, providing timely data for local governance and planning.

The successful dual-focus mission—combining a cutting-edge domestic industrial satellite with international and regional client payloads—demonstrates the maturing and diversified capabilities of China’s commercial space sector. This multi-faceted launch cements the Lijian-1’s role as a versatile platform supporting a growing array of orbital services, from specialized industrial monitoring to broad environmental surveillance both at home and abroad.

BEIJING — China’s space program reached a new milestone Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, as the three-person crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission successfully finished their initial series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) outside the nation’s orbiting space station. The mission, managed by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), underscores Beijing’s accelerating capabilities in long-duration human spaceflight and orbital maintenance.

The astronaut trio—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—spent approximately eight hours conducting complex operations outside the station’s pressurized modules. Their tasks, completed at 6:45 p.m. Beijing Time, were supported by the station’s sophisticated robotic arm and a dedicated ground-control team at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. Notably, Wu Fei became the youngest Chinese astronaut ever to perform a spacewalk, highlighting the growing depth of China’s astronaut corps.

Critical Repairs and Inspections Completed

The primary focus of the lengthy EVA involved critical inspection and infrastructure upgrades. Astronauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei were directly responsible for the spacewalk operations, tackling three key objectives.

First, the duo successfully inspected and photographed the viewport window of the previously docked Shenzhou-20 return capsule. This diagnostic step is crucial for ensuring the integrity and safety of future crew returns.

Second, the astronauts installed a new debris protection device onto the exterior of the space station, a proactive measure designed to shield vital components from micro-meteoroid and orbital debris impacts. Given the increasingly congested low Earth orbit environment, such protective measures are paramount to the station’s longevity.

Finally, they replaced the multilayer thermal cover on a thermal control adapter, a procedure vital for regulating the temperature of critical station systems.

Future Mission Objectives

This initial spacewalk is merely the first set of EVAs planned for the Shenzhou-21 mission. According to the CMSA, the crew’s remaining time in orbit will include additional extravehicular activities focusing on crew training and the deployment of applied payloads. The mission schedule also incorporates a significant program of scientific experiments and technical verification tests aimed at expanding operational knowledge in a microgravity environment.

A potential, yet unscheduled, task involves addressing specific repair work. The CMSA noted that depending on further assessment, the crew may also undertake protective operations targeting potential damage to a window on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft. This contingency planning demonstrates the flexible and adaptive nature of China’s modern space operations.

The successful completion of this intricate spacewalk further solidifies China’s position as a major player in space exploration and human presence in orbit. The ability to perform complex, prolonged EVAs is essential for the continuous assembly, maintenance, and potential expansion of the modular orbiting platform, ensuring its function as a permanent, continuously crewed outpost for scientific and technological advancement.