On Wednesday, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with a number of other agencies, published an action plan to stimulate consumption and balance supply and demand for consumer goods, outlining key measures, Xinhua reports.
The plan calls for optimizing the structure of consumer goods supply by 2027. Specifically, three consumer sectors worth 1 trillion yuan ($141.2 billion) and ten consumer areas worth 100 billion yuan will be identified.
According to the plan, the consumer sector’s contribution to China’s economic growth will steadily increase until 2030.
In total, the plan includes 19 key tasks, including the comprehensive implementation of AI solutions, increased budgetary and financial support, and the expansion of new product offerings, such as green products.
In addition, it provides for a clearer focus on meeting the needs of different population groups. This applies to expanding the range of products for infants and children, as well as products that are convenient for the elderly, Xinhua notes.
Prices for building materials have risen by 10–15% since the beginning of 2025, according to Sergey Pylypenko, CEO of the Kovalska Group (Kyiv), in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“On average, prices are rising at the rate of inflation—from 10 to 15%, depending on the product. The most expensive products are those that are cement-intensive, energy-intensive, or labor-intensive,” he said.
In particular, according to Pylypenko, concrete has risen in price by about 7-10% year-on-year, reinforced concrete products by 12-15%, and paving slabs by almost 20%.
Gravel and sand showed the lowest increase in price, up to 10%.
According to the expert, limited demand and the absence of large infrastructure projects do not allow prices to rise in this market. “The market (for road works) is very inactive, so everyone is trying to compete on price to the last,” he explained.
According to Pylypenko, human resources showed the highest growth, with wages increasing by 25% or more.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified people, and this is the reason why it is sometimes difficult for us to fulfill some orders as quickly as we would like. All this actually affects GDP, the competitiveness of the domestic economy, and our products. But it also encourages us to adopt more automated technologies, invest in IT solutions, improve processes, and upgrade to more modern equipment,” he said, citing the plant in Rozvadov as an example, where the entire production volume will be provided by only 40 employees.
The Kovalskaya Industrial and Construction Group has been operating in the Ukrainian construction market since 1956. It unites more than 20 enterprises in the field of raw material extraction, product manufacturing, and construction. Its products are represented by the brands Beton vid Kovalskoi, Avenue, and Siltek. Kovalskaya’s enterprises operate in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Lviv, and Chernihiv regions. The aerated concrete plant in the Kherson region has not been operating since the beginning of the occupation.
According to the 7SDA forecast, total milk production in Ukraine will decline even further in 2026 due to a decrease in the number of cows, problems with industrial production related to the war, and inefficient household production. This forecast was made by analysts of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Milk production in Ukraine in 2026 is estimated at 6.8 million tons, which is 4% less than this year (7.1 million tons).
At the same time, consumption of dairy products in the country is expected to grow slightly next year, while the growth of Ukrainians’ incomes is offset by the outflow of population.
USDA forecast for production and trade of certain types of products
Cheese
production: 139 thousand tons (+4 thousand tons)
exports: 20 thousand tons (+4 thousand tons)
imports: 45 thousand tons (+2 thousand tons)
Butter
production: 73 thousand tons (+1 thousand tons)
exports: 14 thousand tons (+1 thousand tons)
The growth was driven by expected high demand on international markets and good production profitability.
Skimmed milk powder
production: 33 thousand tons (+1 thousand tons)
exports: 24 thsd tonnes (+1 thsd tonnes).
The international news portal Euronews has published an article about Uzbekistan’s large-scale program aimed at developing artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers. The article emphasizes that the country offers significant tax breaks, access to cheap electricity, and support for renewable energy projects, hoping to attract more than €85 million in foreign investment in the first phase.
Euronews pays particular attention to the choice of Karakalpakstan as a key location. The region is seen as a promising center for large AI projects due to its energy advantages, cool climate, and availability of free land resources. Journalists note that the new projects will use energy-efficient and low-water cooling systems that meet the environmental conditions of the region, which has been affected by the drying up of the Aral Sea.
According to the Ministry of Digital Technologies and Research and the UNDP, the ongoing modernization of fiber optic and telecommunications infrastructure is increasing the country’s digital potential and making it attractive to major players in the industry. According to the publication, the Uzbek government is counting on an influx of investment in the artificial intelligence sector, the creation of high-tech jobs, and the development of related industries, from logistics to engineering services.
Euronews also notes that the selection of projects will be based on their export potential, focus on green energy, and plans for training local personnel. The potential of Karakalpakstan as a future hub for the export of computing power and cloud services to countries in the region is highlighted separately.
According to the portal, the initiative is integrated into Uzbekistan’s broader strategy to create a full-fledged artificial intelligence ecosystem by 2030. The plan envisages attracting more than €860 million in investments, opening new AI laboratories, forming technology clusters, and launching more than 100 AI-based projects, including solutions based on renewable energy sources. By 2030, the country intends to increase its IT services exports to €4.3 billion and strengthen its position in the global technology market.
Metinvest-Kryvyi Rih Repair and Mechanical Plant (KRMZ) reduced its net loss by 17% in January-September this year compared to the same period last year, to UAH 22.925 million.
According to the company’s interim report, available to Interfax-Ukraine, the loss in the third quarter amounted to UAH 6.806 million.
Revenue for this period fell 3.9 times, to UAH 101.959 million from UAH 397.352 million.
The uncovered loss at the end of September amounted to UAH 1 billion 114.641 million.
The plant ended 2024 with a loss of UAH 33.950 million, while in 2023 it reached UAH 273.849 million. In 2022, this figure was UAH 423.040 million, while in 2021, a net profit of UAH 394.714 million was received.
Metinvest-Kryvyi Rih Repair and Mechanical Plant LLC manufactures and repairs equipment for the mining and metallurgical enterprises of the Metinvest Group. It has a closed-cycle metallurgical complex at its disposal. The plant produces parts from more than 40 grades of steel and alloys, assembles and welds products from sheet and rolled steel.
The enterprise was established in 1963 under the name Kryvyi Rih Central Ore Repair Plant. In December 2016, KRMZ joined the Metinvest Group.
Metinvest Holding LLC owns 100% of Metinvest-KRMZ LLC.
The LLC’s authorized capital is UAH 46,000.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine, in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as in European countries.
The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
The head of the Taiwanese administration Lai Tsingde on Wednesday announced plans to allocate a special budget of $40 billion for the purchase of weapons, according to the Associated Press. It is noted that this amount, in particular, includes funds for the creation of an air defense “dome”.
“Threats from China to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region are increasing (…). Taiwan should demonstrate its determination and take greater responsibility in self-defense,” said Lai Qingde.
It is noted that the Taiwanese administration has requested this tranche separately from the annual defense budget, and this request must now be approved by Taiwan’s legislature.
The Taiwan issue arose in 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed and part of China’s Kuomintang Party settled on the island of Taiwan, naming the island the Republic of China on Taiwan. Beijing insists on the “one China principle”, according to which it is impossible to recognize both the PRC and the Republic of China on Taiwan at the same time. At the same time, almost all major states have unofficial cultural and economic offices of Taipei.
Help from Experts Club: the ratio of PRC and Taiwan military capabilities (estimates for 2025)
Based on public estimates (GlobalFirepower, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, budget data): Number of active military personnel
China: about 2.0-2.1 million (active NVAC personnel).
Taiwan: nearly 230,000 personnel.
Ratio: about 8-9 to 1 in favor of China.
Reserve and mobilization resource
China: about 510 thousand reservists + large para-military formations.
Taiwan: about 2.3 million reservists with a much smaller population, reliance on a massive reserve.
Air Force (general aviation)
China: about 3,300 aircraft, including about 1,200 fighters.
Taiwan: about 760 airplanes, approximately 280-300 fighters.
Ratio of fighters: about 4-5 to 1 in favor of China.
Navy (warships)
China: about 750 ships and boats, including 3 aircraft carriers, dozens of destroyers and frigates, more than 60 submarines.
Taiwan: about 100 ships and boats, no aircraft carriers, with a limited number of destroyers, frigates and submarines.
Ratio in number of fleet units: about 7-8 to 1 in favor of China, with an even larger gap in total tonnage.
Defense budgets (2025)
China: about $245-270 billion per year according to official figures.
Taiwan: about $20-21 billion (about 2.45% of GDP).
Ratio: China spends more than 10 times more on defense than Taiwan.
These figures are estimates and based on public sources, but generally reflect China’s significant quantitative superiority while Taiwan’s focus on technological saturation, defense doctrines, and alliance with the U.S. and other partners.
Source: https://expertsclub.eu/kytaj-zadiyuye-czyvilni-sudna-v-navchannyah-po-tajvanyu-zmi/
