Briefly

E-commerce sector sees steady growth

China's e-commerce sector has sustained steady expansion in the first four months of 2026, with the sector continuing to stimulate consumption vitality and empower the real economy, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce. During the January-April period, China's online retail sales of goods and services rose 6.6 percent year-on-year, with online retail sales of goods contributing 72.2 percent to the growth of total retail sales of consumer goods. Online sales of agricultural products increased 12.2 percent during the period, while the e-commerce transaction value of metal products and chemical products rose 34.8 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

Yuan weakens against greenback

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 3 pips to 6.8291 against the US dollar on Wednesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.

Xinhua - China Daily