Xi's Central Asia, Middle East tour injects certainty, positive energy into world in flux

This photo taken on Sept. 8, 2026 shows a view of the booth of a sci-tech company at an exhibition hall of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China. The 2026 CIFTIS held a media preview event here on Tuesday. This year's CIFTIS, set to be held from Sept. 9 to 13 in Beijing, will bring together exhibitors from over 90 countries and international organizations, along with more than 1,800 companies.

The 5th Global Digital Trade Expo, an event dedicated to promoting digital trade and industrial cooperation, will take place from Sept. 23 to 27 in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, with artificial intelligence (AI) as its main theme, an official said on Monday.

The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, located in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, is hailed as the "First Bridge over the Yangtze River." It holds deep collective memories for generations of local residents. When night falls, the bridge glows with soft, warm-yellow lights, forming an iconic part of Wuhan's nighttime cityscape.

The International Monetary Fund recently projected that global trade growth would slow from 5 percent in 2025 to 3.5 percent in 2026, suggesting a challenging outlook for international economic and trade cooperation in the second half of the year.

China's currency, the renminbi (RMB), is playing a bigger role in Africa as trade with the continent flourishes. From the launch of direct RMB settlement services in Tanzania to expanded connectivity with the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) in Kenya and Namibia, as well as the establishment of RMB clearing arrangements for Africa, such recent developments highlight the growing role of the Chinese currency in cross-border transactions.