10 big things about China you should not miss (Oct. 26 --Nov.1)

1.Xi meets Trump in South Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Busan, South Korea on Thursday with U.S. President Donald Trump to exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

The two presidents met amid mounting global economic challenges and protectionist trends. Many global observers viewed this high-stakes meeting as a crucial opportunity to steady what many describe as the world's most important bilateral relationship and reinvigorate confidence in the global economy.

2.China launches Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship for new engineering, scientific breakthrough

China successfully launched the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship on Friday, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station on a six-month mission.

The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off at 11:44 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

About 10 minutes after the launch, the spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The astronauts are in good condition, and the launch of the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship was a complete success, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

3. Nation, ASEAN sign free trade area upgrade protocol

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed the Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol on Tuesday, a milestone that will herald new opportunities for both sides to expand and enhance bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

The protocol was signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ahead of the 28th China-ASEAN Summit, in the presence of Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Building upon the existing China-ASEAN free trade agreements and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which is the world's largest free trade agreement and was initiated by ASEAN, the upgrade protocol features expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation in emerging fields, enhancement of alignment in standards and regulations, and promotion of trade facilitation and inclusive development in the region.

4.China commemorates 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration, pooling strength for reunification

People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait on Saturday commemorated the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration to China.

A high-level commemorative meeting was held in Beijing, attended by China's top political advisor Wang Huning.

Addressing about 500 attendees, Wang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, called on people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together to advance national reunification, and to leave no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

Saturday's meeting was held a day after the national legislature designated Oct. 25 as the Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration.

5.U.S. Navy and fighter jet crash in separate incidents into South China Sea

A U.S. Navy helicopter and a fighter jet went down in the South China Sea while taking off during separate operations on Sunday afternoon, U.S. news outlets reported on Monday, citing the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet.

Around 2:45 p.m. local time, an MH-60R "Seahawk" helicopter belonging to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed while taking off from U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz for a mission. Half an hour later, an F/A-18F "Super Hornet" fighter jet from Strike Fighter Squadron 22 also crashed into the sea when attempting to take off from the Nimitz.

6.China establishes 51-bln-yuan fund for central SOEs to develop strategic industries

China on Wednesday established a fund for its centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to develop strategic emerging industries, raising 51 billion yuan (about 7.2 billion U.S. dollars) in its first phase.

Over 10 centrally administered SOEs have contributed to the fund, including China Mobile, Sinopec, and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

The fund will invest in fields such as new-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, biomedicine, and quantum technology.

7.World's tallest-dam pumped-storage hydropower plant fully operational in E China

China on Tuesday launched a pumped-storage hydropower station featuring the world's tallest dam of its kind in Jiangsu, the eastern economic powerhouse province.

Located in the city of Jurong and built by a subsidiary of State Grid Corporation of China, the fully operational facility has a total installed capacity of 1.35 gigawatts and is expected to generate 1.35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

The hydropower plant uses off-peak electricity to pump water from a lower reservoir to an upper one, storing water that can be released to generate power when demand surges.

8.China's central bank to resume treasury bond purchase after pause earlier this year

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) , the country’s central bank, will restart its treasury bond purchases in the open market, said PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng at the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2025 in Beijing on Monday.

The move is expected to enrich China's monetary policy toolkit and enhance the financial functions of government bonds, according to Pan.The PBOC paused its treasury bond trading earlier this year due to “significant pressure” from supply-demand imbalances in the bond market and increasing market risks, Pan said.

9.Taipei prosecutors seek 7-year term for man accused of raping woman at main station

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday sought a seven-year prison sentence for a man accused of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman in the main hall of Taipei Main Station last month, according to Taiwan media reports.

Reports said Chiu sexually assaulted the woman, who appeared intoxicated, in a public area on Oct. 9 for about 10 minutes without anyone intervening. The assault was captured by bystanders and station surveillance cameras. Police arrived at the scene about 3:37 p.m. after receiving a report and arrested the suspect. The victim later filed a complaint with the Railway Police Bureau's Taipei Branch.

Prosecutors said Chiu initially admitted to the offense during police questioning but later retracted his confession during the investigation, which prosecutors said showed a lack of remorse. Considering the harm suffered by the victim, prosecutors requested the court impose a seven-year prison term.

10.Wild giant panda spotted in SW China

A wild giant panda has been captured on video for the first time in Dawei Township administered by the city of Emeishan, southwest China's Sichuan Province, highlighting the area's potential as a suitable habitat for this vulnerable species.

The video, recorded in August 2025, shows an adult giant panda in robust health walking steadily through the wild. Zhang Guiquan, a senior engineer at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, confirmed that the individual is a wild adult male, around 10 years old.