China news | Beijing: World cannot return to 'law of jungle' / China Central Asia's largest trading partner

Pars Today - Following the trade threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump, China's Vice Premier stated at the Davos forum in Switzerland that "the world cannot return to the law of the jungle."

According to Pars Today, in response to trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, Hi Lifeng, China's Vice Premier, said at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday: "A small number of countries with privileges should not disproportionately benefit at the expense of others; the world cannot revert to the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak." He emphasized the need to uphold international free trade rules. He Lifeng warned that the world must not allow countries to "unilaterally violate international rules." The Vice Premier added: "Unilateral actions and trade agreements by certain countries blatantly violate the fundamental principles and rules of the World Trade Organization, seriously impacting the global economic and trade order."

U.S. President Donald Trump, amid disputes over the acquisition of Greenland, recently announced that if no agreement is reached with Denmark on purchasing the island, he will increase tariffs on imported goods from Europe, gradually raising them to the maximum level. This policy will affect Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, and, according to Trump, will take effect from February 1 this year.

China receives invitation from U.S. to Join Gaza Peace Council 

In other news, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced on Tuesday that his country has received an official invitation from the United States to join the Gaza Peace Council. He did not provide further details on China's stance regarding the establishment of the Gaza Peace Council. These remarks came as **Lu Xiang**, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that U.S. President Donald Trump's move to establish the Gaza Peace Council serves to advance his regional and strategic interests in West Asia, where the United States has long sought influence and access to resources.

China warns its citizens against travel to Afghanistan

Additionally, China's diplomatic authorities, following a deadly explosion in Kabul that killed seven people and injured 13, including Chinese nationals, warned of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to the country under current conditions.

China's population declines for fourth consecutive year  

In other demographic news, China's population declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, with the birth rate dropping by 0.83% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the aging trend continues to rise. The population of mainland China, excluding Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, reached 1.40489 billion by the end of 2025, a decrease of 3.39 million from 2024.

China's unmanned spacecraft returns to Earth

In space-related news, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned safely to Earth without any crew on board on Tuesday morning due to safety concerns about bringing Chinese astronauts back. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) stated that inspections showed the capsule's external and internal conditions were in good order and without issues.

China becomes Central Asia's largest trading partner with Over $100 billion in trade

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Commerce website reported that trade volume between China and Central Asia reached $106.3 billion in 2025 for the first time. According to the ministry's statement, this marks the fifth consecutive year of positive trade growth between China and Central Asia. With this volume, China became the largest trading partner of Central Asia for the first time last year. Exports of electronic and technology-related products from Beijing to Central Asian countries increased by 11% compared to the previous year, reaching $71.2 billion.