Global steel production from January through September 2026 totaled 1 billion 367.493 million metric tons, down 0.7% compared to the same period in 2025.
According to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), China retained its top spot in the global rankings, producing 724.77 million metric tons of steel over the nine-month period. However, the country’s production declined by 2.9% year-over-year.
India ranked second with 129.957 million metric tons, increasing output by 5.6%. The United States ranked third with 64.945 million metric tons, which is 5.8% more than in January–September 2025.
Russia produced 49.421 million metric tons of steel, a decrease of 3.6%, while South Korea produced 48.04 million metric tons, an increase of 2.9%. Turkey’s production rose by 6.1%, to 29.777 million metric tons, while Germany’s increased by 4%, to 26.529 million metric tons.
Against this backdrop, Ukrainian steelmakers reduced steel production by 19.8% over the nine-month period, to 4.431 million metric tons. Ukraine ranked 25th among steel-producing countries.
In September, global steel production decreased by 0.2% compared to the same month last year, to 142.4 million metric tons. Production in Ukraine for the month totaled 131,000 metric tons, compared to 611,000 metric tons in September 2025.
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Taiwan in August 2026 became noticeably more positive compared to March, while China remains the country with the worst balance of positive and negative assessments among the 50 countries surveyed. 42.5% of respondents view Taiwan positively, while 18.2% view China positively, according to the Experts Club information and analytical center, based on the results of a joint study with Active Group, presented in September 2026.
Thus, positive attitudes toward Taiwan among Ukrainians are 2.3 times more prevalent than those toward the People’s Republic of China, despite the fact that Ukraine officially adheres to the “One China” policy and has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
According to the results of the August survey, 14.5% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Taiwan, while 28% have a mostly positive attitude. 45.6% of respondents hold a neutral position, 6.5% have a mostly negative attitude, and 2.3% have a completely negative attitude. Another 3.1% of respondents were undecided.
The overall share of positive assessments is 42.5%, negative assessments—8.8%, and the net balance of positive and negative attitudes is +33.7 percentage points. Positive responses outnumber negative ones by nearly five to one.
By comparison, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward China are characterized by a predominance of negative assessments. 18.2% of respondents view China positively, 33.9% neutrally, and 43.6% negatively. Another 4.3% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative attitudes toward China stands at minus 25.4 percentage points. This is the lowest result among all 50 countries and territories included in the study. The difference between the balances of attitudes toward Taiwan and China reaches 59.1 percentage points. At the same time, the share of negative assessments of China is nearly five times higher than the corresponding figure for Taiwan.
It is particularly telling that China remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner, while Taiwan plays a significantly smaller role in Ukraine’s foreign trade. Thus, the intensity of economic relations is not always accompanied by a corresponding level of public favor.
According to an analysis by Experts Club, Ukraine’s trade volume with China totaled approximately $14.68 billion in the first half of 2026. Of this amount, nearly $13.9 billion came from Chinese imports to Ukraine, while Ukrainian exports amounted to approximately $778 million.
China supplies Ukraine with electronics, batteries, transformers, electrical equipment, machinery, and other industrial products. Ukrainian exports to China consist mainly of iron ore, vegetable oils, oilseed processing products, soybeans, and other agricultural goods. However, China’s significant economic presence does not ensure a positive perception of the country among the Ukrainian public.
The trend in attitudes toward Taiwan over the past five months shows the opposite pattern.
In March 2026, 36.6% of Ukrainians viewed Taiwan positively, including 11.4% who viewed it entirely positively and 25.2% who viewed it mostly positively. 51.3% of respondents held a neutral position, 7.3% held a negative one, and another 4.9% were undecided.
In August, the share of positive assessments rose by 5.9 percentage points, to 42.5%. Meanwhile, the neutral segment shrank by 5.7 percentage points, to 45.6%.
The share of negative responses also increased slightly—from 7.3% to 8.8%—but the growth in the positive segment was significantly more pronounced.
Changes occurred in both categories of positive attitudes. The share of fully positive assessments increased from 11.4% to 14.5%, while the share of mostly positive assessments rose from 25.2% to 28%.
As a result, the balance of positive and negative attitudes toward Taiwan improved from approximately plus 29.4 percentage points in March to plus 33.7 in August 2026. This also slightly exceeds the figure for August 2025, when the balance stood at plus 33.3 points.
At the same time, the balance of attitudes toward China has worsened over the past five months: in March 2026, it stood at minus 21.7 percentage points, and in August, it was minus 25.4. However, compared to August 2025, when this figure stood at minus 28.7 points, the negative balance has narrowed slightly.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, commenting on the previous wave of the study, drew attention to the importance of public awareness in shaping attitudes toward countries and territories with which Ukrainians have limited direct experience.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, commenting on the survey results, emphasized the need to distinguish between public perception of individual countries and Ukraine’s long-term economic interests.
In his view, the negative attitude of a significant portion of Ukrainians toward China should not lead to a curtailment of economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy. On the contrary, the scale of trade between the two countries requires systematic efforts to maintain mutual trust, resume dialogue, and expand cooperation.
“It is extremely important for Ukraine and China to maintain good, trusting relations. We must remember that our countries have a long history of cooperation, and back in 2011–2013, the foundation for a strategic partnership was laid at the highest state level. These agreements should not be forgotten, as they were designed to last for decades and envisaged the development of trade, investment, infrastructure projects, and industrial and scientific-technical cooperation,” Urakin noted.
He recalled that on June 20, 2011, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a Joint Declaration in Kyiv on the establishment and development of strategic partnership relations between the two countries.
The next important step was Yanukovych’s state visit to China in December 2013. During talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 5, the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and China, a Joint Declaration on Further Deepening Strategic Partnership Relations, and the Program for the Development of Strategic Partnership Relations for 2014–2018 were signed.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation on May 15, 2014. The relevant documents provided for the development of cooperation in the trade and economic, agricultural, energy, infrastructure, aerospace, and humanitarian spheres.
According to Urakin, this legal framework remains an important historical legacy of Ukrainian-Chinese relations, although specific areas of cooperation need to be revised in light of current conditions, the war, and Ukraine’s economic interests.
The founder of Experts Club drew particular attention to the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue for official Beijing.
“Ukrainians should not try to exploit the contradictions between China and Taiwan. We must understand that this is an extremely sensitive issue for the Chinese state and society. Ukraine has its own official position on the ‘One China’ policy, and it is important that discussions surrounding Taiwan do not become an additional factor in the deterioration of Ukrainian-Chinese relations. Instead, we need to actively develop a constructive dialogue with the PRC, seek common economic interests, and rebuild trust,” Urakin believes.
In his view, one of the key practical areas of focus should be changing the structure of Ukrainian exports to China.
Currently, bilateral trade is characterized by a significant imbalance: Ukraine imports mainly industrial products and equipment, while the structure of Ukrainian exports depends largely on the supply of raw materials and agricultural goods.
“Our task is not simply to sell grain, ore, or other raw materials to China. We need to be much more proactive in opening up the Chinese market to Ukrainian finished products with high added value. These could include highly processed food products, equipment, machinery, pharmaceuticals, technological solutions, and other competitive Ukrainian goods. The Chinese market is extremely large, but it requires systematic work, an understanding of local consumers, product certification, and long-term relationships with partners,” Urakin emphasized.
He believes that Ukrainian government agencies, trade representatives, industry associations, and companies need to work more actively to remove barriers to the entry of finished products into the Chinese market.
Specifically, this involves harmonizing veterinary and phytosanitary requirements, certifying food products, developing logistics routes, promoting Ukrainian brands, and finding local distributors.
An important avenue could be the participation of Ukrainian manufacturers in specialized trade shows in China, the holding of industry-specific business forums, and the organization of direct negotiations between companies.
According to Urakin, improving the informational presence of China in Ukraine and of Ukraine in China is of particular importance.
“Diplomacy and economics must work together. If there are extensive trade ties between the two countries but public perception remains negative, this indicates a need for better communication. It is important for Chinese partners to tell Ukrainians more about the concrete results of cooperation, and for Ukrainian businesses to more actively showcase their own technologies, products, and investment opportunities in China. “In the long run, this could contribute to more balanced economic relations,” noted the founder of Experts Club.
At the same time, he emphasized that the expansion of economic cooperation must be based on the principles of mutual respect, international law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
In the case of Taiwan, the survey results paint a different picture: despite the absence of official diplomatic relations with Ukraine, the perception of Taiwan among respondents is predominantly positive or neutral.
At the same time, these sociological indicators should not be interpreted as support by Ukrainians for a specific option for a political resolution of the Taiwan issue. The study measured respondents’ general attitudes, not their position on Taiwan’s status under international law.
Ukraine established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China on January 4, 1992, and adheres to the “One China” policy. In a joint Ukrainian-Chinese communiqué dated October 31, 1992, Ukraine recognized the government of the PRC as the sole legitimate government of China and confirmed that it would not establish official relations with Taiwan. This position remains the foundation of Ukraine’s official diplomatic stance on the Taiwan issue.
At the same time, Taiwan has its own elected governing bodies, administrative system, and economic policies, and exercises de facto self-government. The People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.
Thus, the findings of Experts Club and Active Group demonstrate a significant discrepancy between a state’s diplomatic position, the economic structure of its foreign relations, and public perceptions of specific countries and territories.
Ukrainians’ positive attitude toward Taiwan continues to grow, but respondents with a neutral stance remain the largest single group. At the same time, China, despite its leading role in Ukraine’s foreign trade, continues to have the lowest public sentiment rating among the countries surveyed.
According to Maksym Urakin, these results should serve as a basis not for reducing international economic contacts, but for more systematic and pragmatic cooperation with partners. This is particularly true for China, where Ukraine has significant potential to expand exports of finished goods and develop industrial cooperation.
The study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World” was conducted in August 2026 by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center using a self-administered online questionnaire on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The survey included 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The sample was representative in terms of age, gender, and region. The maximum stated theoretical statistical margin of error for indicators at the 50% level is ±3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
October 17–18 of this year Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, paid an official visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan with the aim of further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation, and implementing the agreements reached at the highest level.
On October 17, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the Chinese delegation. The parties discussed the practical implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting of the two countries’ leaders in Bishkek in August 2026 and noted the intensification of contacts between parliaments, governments, regions, and business circles. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to the “One China” policy.
On the same day, talks between Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Li Qiang took place at the “Uzbekistan” International Forum Palace. The main focus was on developing cooperation in industry, energy, agriculture, transportation, digital technologies, and other promising sectors.
Over the past five years, the volume of bilateral trade has tripled, reaching nearly 18 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2025. The volume of Chinese direct investment in Uzbekistan’s economy in 2025 amounted to 17 billion U.S. dollars. There are more than 6,500 enterprises with Chinese capital operating in the country, and the portfolio of promising joint projects is estimated at approximately 60 billion U.S. dollars.
The parties emphasized the importance of constructing the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, which is expected to expand the region’s transport connectivity and create additional opportunities for trade. Other priorities include the development of renewable energy, the chemical industry, automotive manufacturing, metallurgy, geology, infrastructure, peaceful nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine tool manufacturing.
Special attention was given to the development of tourism, cultural, and educational exchanges, particularly increasing the frequency of flights between cities in the two countries. Uzbekistan Culture Days in China and the reciprocal opening of cultural centers are planned for the near future. Cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the “Central Asia–China” format was also discussed.
Following the talks, bilateral memorandums of cooperation were signed in the fields of industry, energy, customs administration, healthcare, e-commerce, and mass media. A symbol of the strengthening of friendly ties was the decision to name one of Tashkent’s streets “Beijing.”
China’s GDP grew by 4.5% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of the People’s Republic of China.
The growth rate accelerated compared to the second quarter, when it stood at 4.3%—the lowest since 2022.
Analysts surveyed by Trading Economics had expected GDP growth of 4.4% on average for the previous quarter.
China’s GDP growth from July to September, compared with the previous three months, was 1.2% (forecast: 1.1%), up from 0.9% in April–June.
From January through September, the economy grew by 4.6% year-over-year, reaching 107.1 trillion yuan (about $16 trillion).
The Chinese government’s GDP growth target for this year is 4.5–5%.
China’s per capita disposable income rose 5.3% year-over-year over the nine-month period to 34,230 yuan ($5,100), according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Adjusted for inflation, it increased by 4.4%.
CHINA, ECONOMY, GDP, INCOME, STATISTICS
In January–September 2026, Ukraine increased its imports of insulated wires and cables by 22.7%—to $540.7 million, with China significantly outpacing traditional European suppliers in this segment for the first time.
According to the State Customs Service, imports of Chinese cable products reached $157 million, compared to $92.6 million during the same period last year.
Thus, in just one year, shipments from China grew by approximately 69.5%, and its share of Ukraine’s wire and cable imports approached 29%.
Hungary remains the second-largest supplier. Over the nine-month period, Ukraine imported $124 million worth of wires and cables from Hungary, compared to $114 million a year earlier, representing an increase of approximately 8.8%.
Poland ranked third with shipments totaling $74 million, compared to $74.7 million in January–September 2025.
Thus, China, Hungary, and Poland together accounted for about $355 million, or nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian imports of cable products.
The main change in the market structure was the strengthening of China’s position. Just a year ago, Hungary was the largest supplier, whereas now the value of Chinese imports exceeds that of Hungary’s by approximately $33 million.
The rapid growth in imports may be linked to increased demand for electrical products, the restoration of energy infrastructure, telecommunications projects, construction, industrial equipment, and automotive components.
At the same time, imports are growing significantly faster than exports. Over the first nine months, Ukrainian exports of wires and cables remained roughly at last year’s level—$1.065 billion—while imports rose by nearly a quarter.
By the end of 2025, Ukraine had imported $590.7 million worth of wires and cables, which was 24.3% higher than in 2024. In just the first nine months of 2026, the volume of imports had already approached the total for the entire previous year.
According to Experts Club, China ranked last among Ukraine’s 50 largest trading partners in terms of the balance of positive and negative attitudes among Ukrainians—in August 2026, the figure stood at minus 25.4 percentage points. The next lowest results were recorded for India and Hungary—minus 14.3 and minus 12.7 percentage points, respectively. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
The balance was defined as the difference between the shares of positive and negative assessments. Regarding China, 18.2% of respondents expressed a positive attitude, 43.6% a negative one, and another 33.9% a neutral one. Thus, China received the lowest score among all countries surveyed, despite the fact that in the first half of 2026, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner with a trade volume of approximately $14.68 billion.
The top ten countries with the lowest scores also included Lebanon—minus 9.2 percentage points—and Poland—minus 2.3 percentage points. Serbia, Algeria, Libya, Vietnam, and Tunisia remained in the positive range, however, their scores were among the lowest among the countries surveyed: Serbia at plus 2.3 percentage points, Algeria at plus 2.2, Libya at plus 1.0, Vietnam at plus 9.4, and Tunisia at plus 11.0 percentage points.
The shift in attitudes toward Poland was particularly noticeable. In March 2026, the balance of positive and negative assessments stood at +41.7 percentage points, whereas in August it fell to –2.3 percentage points. A positive attitude toward Poland was expressed by 34.6% of respondents, a negative one by 37%, and a neutral one by 25.4%. At the same time, Poland remains one of Ukraine’s largest trading partners and the largest market for Ukrainian goods exports among individual countries in the first half of 2026.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, noted that the results of the sociological survey should be analyzed in conjunction with actual trade figures.
“Second, we must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public. We also need to make use of our sociological research,” Urakin noted. In his view, systematic communication and the demonstration of concrete results of cooperation can help governments better explain the nature of bilateral relations to Ukrainian society.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, highlighted the need to combine public awareness with the practical development of economic ties.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. We must expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive trade balance,” Pozniy noted. He emphasized the role of business associations, economic institutions, and diplomatic missions in developing bilateral ties, especially with markets where Ukraine can increase its exports.
Overall, the survey results show that the scale of trade and economic ties does not always correspond to public attitudes toward the respective country. China stands out as the most striking example: it has the highest trade volume among individual partners, yet is simultaneously associated with the lowest ratings among Ukrainians.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The sample is representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, CHINA, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, HUNGARY, INDIA, international relations, POLAND, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
